


Breeding School...

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mild Language, Obsession, Original Character(s), Romance, Unrequited Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 16:38:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 152,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They all go to a special school, where secrets are held, and magical things take place. The older students say nothing, so they are all left in the dark, but there is something strange about this school; Breeding School High…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Letters

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any material belonging to Takahashi Rumiko-sama. I also do not own any similiarities to any type of other schooling story, such as the castle within _Harry Potter_ or the boarding school within _Charlie Bone_.

* * *

 

Her shoes tapped against the concrete sidewalk as she continued home for the night. It wasn't unnatural that she'd be found walking from her friends to the shrine her family lived during the summer months. After all, school had been out for a while and Higurashi Kagome had been happy that it was. It was too bad that it was soon coming to an end and she'd be shipped off to the boarding school that she and her cousin, Kikyo, were locked away within – of course, a couple of her friends went their as well. She knew it was only for the best, since she could hurt a lot of people with the hidden powers she held.

It was a shame that summer was over, though. It'd gone by so quickly… and she was somewhat saddened that she wouldn't be able to help her mother around the shrine, watch her little brother go to his public school, or help her grandfather around the house when it came to his youkai exorcisms. Sure, sometimes it could be hectic around the shrine, but other then that she was just happy that she could be around her family.

Autumn leaves fell around her, each falling onto the sidewalk before her shoes stepped onto them, crunching them down into little pieces. The wind picked up, blowing her hair to the side, before she reached up to pull it back out of her face. It really didn't bother her, in fact she liked the wind, but as she continued forward, she held her hair back to keep it in place. Still, golden, brown, red, and yellow leaves began falling around her, yet each one never touched her as she turned toward the steps that led up to the level piece of ground the Higurashi Shrine was located on.

Sighing, Kagome glanced up at the dusking sun, before returning her attention to the long set of steps. Of course, there was this little voice in the back of her head that continued to talk about how she wished the days had lasted longer. Maybe it was because she'd been having fun with her friends, and hanging out with her family, but either way the summer was now at an end and come Monday she would be shipped off to that stupid boarding school once again. Well, unless her mother had decided that because she'd gained enough control that she could go to a public school, but she doubted her mother would allow her to even step foot inside of one with all the youkai that would be present.

Her mother was just trying to help, but she wished that for once she wouldn't have to go back… She knew that she could cause a lot of damage to the youkai community, but she promised many times that she wouldn't hurt anyone. That if she could she wouldn't use her powers at all – her mother knew that she meant it, but she was always sent away as if it would help her for something her mother wanted to happen when she got older. Well, here she was, older, and nothing had happened so far.

She climbed the steps with ease, each one that would have been trouble for someone who had first arrived. However, she'd lived there all her life and climbing the many steps was really easy. By the time she'd reached the top of the steps it was time for her to be on the shrine grounds, just like every other day, since her mother wanted her home at a certain time. She never got into trouble unless she was over twenty minutes late, or if she snuck out to be with Sango and Miroku, which she barely ever did.

With about the same energy she had from when she was told she needed to leave Sango's, Kagome moved over the cobblestone covered ground toward the front door. What she didn't expect, however, was for her mother to be standing there, a slight smile on her face, a twinkle in her eye. That meant she wasn't in trouble, but then why was her mother waiting for her? Her mother barely ever waited for her unless she had done something she wasn't supposed to, like gone out when she was told she couldn't go. Well, that wasn't the case, so that meant her mother might have some good news…

Mrs. Higurashi smiled when Kagome moved past her with a curious gaze. After she was inside, she moved to motion for her daughter to go into the kitchen where she sat on one of the chairs, before smiling brightly at the younger woman. Kagome didn't know it yet, but she wouldn't be going back to that boarding school she hated so much. She'd only sent Kagome there because that's where most of their family went before they were transferred to another school, one filled with magic and wonder. The name was the strangest thing about it, but none of the students actually figured out why it was called that until to late because of the spell that the teachers had placed over the walls. Still, though she was going to tell her daughter that she was going to go to a place known as 'Breeding School High', she wasn't going to tell her what was in store for her in the springtime. No, her daughter would learn that when she was given a 'partner' and sent into a room where either they mated freely, or the strange liquid they gave them caused them to go into a mating frenzy, where they learned later that they couldn't leave each other because of another factor inside of that strange liquid substance. However, she also knew her daughter would be happy to know that it wasn't only ningen, and a few youkai that went to the school, but tons of ningen, youkai, and hanyou. Yes, her daughter would be very happy to hear this, though she might not like everyone who went to the school with her.

Glancing up at her mother, Kagome watched as she placed an envelope on the table. It was the strangest thing, but she was slightly happy that whatever it was she wasn't in trouble. Yes, because it meant that she wasn't going to have to clean the entire house or something within two days. Still, what importance did that envelope hold? Her answer was given when her mother held up the contents of the letter, allowing them to wave a little bit. Still, she asked, "Mother, um… is something wrong?"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, before replying, "Iie, nothing wrong, Kagome. I do have great news, though, dear!" Her daughter was probably confused beyond reason, but for right now she was happy that her little Kagome was so oblivious about what she was going to tell her. After all, she always did love shocking her children.

Kagome glanced at the paper again, before saying, "You do?" Her voice wandered off a little, as her mother began reading what was within her hand. Her curious only rose with each word until her mother came to the end, and happiness swelled within her veins.

oOo

"Miroku, knock it off," Sango hissed. He was really the only reason she'd reminded Kagome that she needed to get home soon or get into trouble. His hentai ways were going to get him hurt one day, since she wasn't sick of him touching her per se, but she was sick of him touching others while she was around. Still, as he grabbed onto her ass once more she allowed her hand to fly, striking him across the face with enough force to leave a nice red mark. She knew that she'd hit him harder if they weren't alone at the moment, but she was ready to strike him again before her mother stepped into the room.

Miroku quickly pulled away, smiling up at the older woman. He listened as she told him that his mother had just called and he needed to go home, but really he merely watched her face. However, after she was done, he turned to Sango and said, "It is clearly obvious where you obtained your beauty, Sango. I will forever be grateful to your parents for allowing you to come into existence…" He was going to continue when he felt something hard slap him in the arm.

Sango's mother, Mrs. Taijiya, tilted the pan she held toward the left, warning the young boy to continue. However, when he gave her that innocent smile, she said, "Not today Miroku. Now, go on, your parents are waiting for you. They have something important to tell you, and I need to speak with my daughter." She watched as the boy stood only to bow a little, before moving toward the door. She rolled her eyes when he blew a kiss, before turning back to her little Sango.

Sango gazed up at her in mild confusion, before saying, "Mom, is there something wrong? Does it have to do with dad…? I mean I know his flight was cancelled but…"

"Oh, iie, this has nothing to do with your father, Sango," she replied. "I merely wanted that hentai boy out of this house before I told you the name of your new school. After all, I know him and I also know a few of the things he would have said… that little—"

Allowing her confusion to stay, Sango said, "I'm going to a new school? But what about my friends, mom! I don't want to go!"

A laugh stopped her, as her mother continued, "Iie, iie, Sango! I've been talking to  **my**  friends, you know, the parents to your friends, and they all said that they received the same letter today. You'll all be going to the same place. So you don't have to worry about leaving your friends behind."

"Great," Sango smiled. However, she was still confused, and said, "So, I'm not going back to that lame boarding school? I don't even see why you continued to send me there, mom. Don't you get about twenty phone calls about my behavior?"

Mrs. Taijiya nodded, before saying, "I also get about three letters stating that if it doesn't change you won't be allowed to return, Sango. However, they couldn't afford that since I did pay a lot of money in order to keep you there. Now, though, I won't have to pay anything but a simple twenty dollars. Still, you must promise me that you won't get into too much trouble. A lot of the teachers are youkai and they won't allow you to get away with all the things you did."

Sango nodded, "Yeah, sure, mom. I mean as long as I don't have to go back to… what was it called again?"

Her mother laughed again, before going to retreive the letter. Once she returned she began to read it to her, leaving out a few important details that only she needed to know. Of course, she'd gone to the same place when she was younger, since the school usually picked students out of certain family lines. Only when they thought a new family line was needed they'd go out personally to the family and talk to them about it. From what the letter said about thirty new family lines were issued, one of them being Miroku's. For that she was slightly glad, since the boy would make a good match with her violent daughter.

oOo

Smirking, Sesshoumaru allowed his hand to glide silently behind his half-brother's head, before pushing it into his blow of ramen. He would always enjoy tormenting his brother; it was a shame though that he wasn't allowed to kill him. He'd love to get that opportunity. However, as his younger hanyou brother trashed around in his noodles he allowed his smirk to grow, before Inuyasha's head shot up from the bowl, his eyes turning to glare at him. Sesshoumaru didn't allow this to affect him, no, he merely said, "Real smooth, hanyou. I think you'd win the contest for staying inside your bowl the longest inside this house."

"Shut up, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha growled. He allowed his ears to fall back against his head, before letting out another growl of anger. However, he soon turned back to his ramen dinner, and slurped the contents of the bowl into his mouth, his ears standing up in happiness. Soon afterward they twitched toward the door, listening as their father, a taiyoukai, and a businessman, walked into the room a smile on his face.

"Father?" Sesshoumaru asked, not wanting to know if they were in trouble. Usually their father only beamed in such a way when he'd thought up the perfect punishment for them. Which wasn't really against his nature, since youkai liked to bring forth pain in others, and punishing their children could be hard if they didn't bring down enough force. That, after all, was how younger youkai usually learned who was the alpha inside a household.

Inu shook his head in amusement, knowing full well what his oldest was thinking. However, he merely held up the piece of paper he held, and shook it a little in defense. "You're not in trouble, my boys. I merely wanted to tell you about something that came in the mail concerning you two today."

Inuyasha looked over at his elder brother for a moment. However, he sighed when he saw that Sesshoumaru was merely giving off the same blank stare that he usually did. It was obvious the older full-blooded inuyoukai wasn't going to be any help to him. So, he slurped up the piece of ramen between his chopsticks, before saying, "So, what's it about, dad? Or are you going to leave us in the dark?"

"Well, according to the letter I got you two have been selected to go to a school I went to when I was your age," he replied. "They have one of the best educations in Nihon, and I'm proud to say that when you return you'll both be… well, different then how you are now."

Sighing, Sesshoumaru said, "So, in other words, we are in trouble?"

Inuyasha glanced at him, before saying, "Be glad we don't have to go back to that fucking prep school we went to last year. After all the stuff you did to get me in trouble I'll be glad to go to a new school."

Sesshoumaru locked eyes with him, giving him a smirk, before saying, "You know full well you did all those things, half-breed." He knew he was lying, but his scent never changed so his father would believe him.

Still, when Inu smiled a little brighter at the idea, Sesshoumaru continued, saying, "This Sesshoumaru does not like that look, father." That he was being honest with. He did not like it when their father beamed at them so. It made him feel like he was in a small room with a light being shined directly into his face.

Their father sighed, before saying, "You'll never be able to trust this old man, will you? Even after I try so hard to keep you two happy and still you can't find any bit of trust within you for your father?"

They took another glance at each other, before shaking their heads. They didn't expect it to happen, but at the same time, they said, "Iie."

Lifting his nose into the air, Inu said, "Well then, I'll leave you with the knowledge you now hold and allow you to find out Monday where you're going. However, I feel I should share some good news with you. Do not be surprised my boys when you come home with the perfect  _person_  on your arm." With that he turned on his heel and moved out of the room with grace you could only be born with.

Allowing his chopsticks to swirl around his noodles, Inuyasha glanced at Sesshoumaru, before saying, "Do you have any idea what that was all about? Why the hell would we want to come home with a  _person_ on our arm?"

Giving him a more serious look, Inuyasha said, "Do you think he's finally lost it, Sesshoumaru?" When his brother merely shrugged, he turned back to his bowl and began slurping up his ramen once more. However, what he didn't expect was for his brother to speak after he'd thought over the questions he'd shot at him.

"This Sesshoumaru does not know, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said.

However, when his brother shook his head, he allowed his hand to slip behind his head once more. When he wasn't paying attention he knocked his face back into his bowl, and let out a small chuckle. "You should learn to never give your opponent an opening, Inuyasha. You are a baka for not storing what our father has taught us into that thick head of yours." He knew Inuyasha had heard him for his ears were still sticking out of the flavored water.

Bubbles rose around Inuyasha's head as he growled. However, when he said, "Waaaahyy yoooo" Sesshoumaru merely smirked again. After he'd had his fun he moved away from his younger brother, moving toward the door to disappear into the hallway.

oOo

"So I'm going to a school with the name 'breeding' in it?" Miroku blinked. His mind was a little confused, but he smiled when he thought of all the things the name pointed to. However, he looked toward his elder brother, listening to him as he wrapped his arm tighter around his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Stop being such a pervert, Miroku," the boy hissed. He held onto his newest girlfriend, before continuing, "Its only a school! Do you have to make everything with some strange name sound so sick? I'm ashamed to even call you my brother…" Shaking his head, he turned his head away from the younger boy, continuing to watch the TV as his girlfriend leaned against him.

His mother nodded, saying, "Hai, don't get the wrong impression because of the name, Miroku. I've talked to the headmistress, and a very perverted person named the school long ago. It was founded by a woman, but years later, when it was being remodeled, the name was changed and since then they haven't found a reason to change it since it allows them to keep unwanted visitors away."

"Of course, mother," Miroku smiled. However, his mother merely shook her head, knowing full well that what she had just said went into one ear and straight out the other. Miroku was always like that when it came to his lecherous ways.

oOo

_"Dear Mrs. Higurashi,_

_We are proud to say that your daughter had been selected to go to 'Breeding School High.' Of course the name is just a name, and shouldn't be taken in the wrong way. We have an extra high education standard then most schools and hope you allow your daughter to attend this year._

_We will only need a few items brought to the school, for their teachers will give the rest to the students. Within the school walls we have all the children spilt into three_

_groups. These groups will be symbolized by different colors. Art, will be green. Drama shall be white. Music shall be gold. All children shall be placed within a different category._

_You daughter, who is known well in school for her artistic talents, shall be placed within the art section. This will require you to buy a green cape, and have your daughter pay $20 for the necklace/bracelet/headband that comes with the subject,"_ Mrs. Higurashi held out a piece of paper to Kagome, allowing her to see the difference between the necklace, bracelet, and headband. She knew there really wasn't anything different about them. All of them were simply a certain size silver square plate with a piece of large fabric attached to the sides so they were easy to tie together. It held a small-engraved paintbrush in the middle, a small circular symbol hidden behind it. She, herself, had gotten the headband when she was within the school and she still had it. However, unlike Kagome she had been in the music section.

As her mother continued to read, Kagome decided that she liked to necklace the best. Of course it really wasn't a necklace, but it looked cool, and from the picture it would hang around her neck a little, settled against her clothing to tell everyone that she was an art student.

" _We hope to see your daughter walking our halls after summer, and we will love to have her. As you know the students will stay at school until the end of the year, but they will be given certain dates where they do not have to attend classes, and may walk the campus_ ," Mrs. Higurashi ended by saying the name of the headmistress, a good friend of hers in fact, by the name of 'Professor Ivy'. After she finished she smiled at Kagome, before saying, "So, what do you think?"

"I'm all with it, mom," Kagome smiled. As long as she didn't have to go back to that boarding school she'd be fine. However, she was really looking forward to the art program, since she'd been told about that first. She'd get two hours of art class each day with a woman by the name of Mrs. Parker. Still, when she got there it might be fun to find out why the school had such a strange name, even though her mother had told her about the hentai man who'd changed it. She had a funny feeling her mother was lying a little.

"Well, I've already bought you you're cape, which has a hood as well. I've also bought you a cloak in black, one in purple, and one in green. Each, Kagome, have your name embroidered into the inside fabric, so you won't have to worry about anyone stealing from you. Oh, and I've packed most of your belongings, as well as a couple of new things I bought," she said.

"You didn't have to mom," Kagome said.

"I wanted to, dear," Mrs. Higurashi replied. She smiled once more, moving away from Kagome, allowing her to think over most of what she'd told her. She knew her daughter would be in for a big surprise when they told them that they were going to be 'partnered' up in the spring, only to find out that she was going to either mate with a youkai, or have sex with another male. However, she was sure that Ivy would give her daughter a youkai mate because of her attitude. That wouldn't be so bad as long as Kagome could learn to love him, and respected him somewhat. Still, it would be funny when her daughter came home yelling about how she should have mentioned why the school was called 'Breeding School High'. After all, that's what she had done when she brought home Kagome's father.


	2. First Day

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe this. He had to ride a stupid bus, with all the other art students. Inuyasha got to go to drama. A smirk pulled at his lips as he thought about it. The boy was made for drama. He could never keep a girlfriend to save his ass. The boy could make any actor look like a lone from how emotional he got. Sesshoumaru blamed it on his hanyou blood, but other then that, the boy was just stupid.

The bus stopped, once again, and he gazed up toward the front wondering how many more people were going to get on. He hated being around other people, and this was no better. However his eyes widened when a girl wearing a black shirt, skirt, green cloak, and cape came bounding up the steps. She held a smile so bright he could have been blinded from it if it was any type of light. She frowned though when she looked around the bus before coming toward him.

"May I sit here?" she asked nervously.

 _Great_ , thought Sesshoumaru,  _another woman who wants to throw herself at me_.

"Ummm… there's no where else to sit." She was holding her cloak between her fingers, and twisting it hopefully, as her eyes gazed down at the empty space.

Sesshoumaru looked up to find she wasn't lying and nodded twice. Damn he hadn't wanted anyone to have to sit with him. He was sure she'd start some damn conversation he didn't want to be apart of, but once again she surprised him. Instead of talking with him, she turned to someone sitting across from them, and began talking.

"Hi, I'm Kagome," she said holding her hand out to a girl across the short distance. The other girl looked surprised but then smiled.

"I'm Trisha, its nice to meet you Kagome," Trisha said, "No one ever talks to me. I'm so surprised."

"No one?" Kagome gasped. She saw Trisha frown before nodding and patted her shoulder in comfort.

Sesshoumaru stared over at Kagome in wonder. Why was she talking to another girl when she could be talking to him? He was hot, and she rather talk to another girl? Then she surprised him again by turning to him and smiling toward him. He merely blinked and watched as she reached her hand out wanting him to shake it. Usually he wouldn't do such a thing but right now his mind wasn't working for him thus he reached out, wrapping his claws around her fingers.

"I'm Kagome, and you are?" Kagome asked, smiling just a small smile. A blush spread across her face when he didn't let go and she finally began to pull her hand away from his.

Sesshoumaru smirked, knowing it was his touch that caused her blush and said, "Sesshoumaru."

"Killing Perfection? That's a strange but it seems to suit you, Sesshoumaru," she mumbled before asking, "You're an inuyoukai, right?"

"Hai, who wants to know?" he asked.

"Aaaa, it was just a question," Kagome said nervously. She wasn't all that calm when it came to talking with someone, who looked like him. She felt like blushing just from doing so.

Sesshoumaru shook his head in confusion from her answer. Most women would have said something like, 'Oh me because they fascinate me so much.' Thinking that by doing so he'd want to speak with them. "Hai, I know it was only a question, Kagome, but I want to know why you want to know?"

"Oh that… well, I've never met an inuyoukai before. I've met tori (bird), hebi (snake), shishi (lion), kitsune (fox), ookami (wolf), kuma (bear), neko (cat), and tora (tiger) youkai before," she said as if it was the most wonderful thing in the world, "Oh, and an elemental youkai once."

This confused him more. She wanted to know him because she'd never met an inuyoukai, not because of anything else. That was strange, she was strange. Did she not notice what he looked like? Did she not like guys? Whatever the case, she was strange.

"Are you ok?" Kagome asked.

"Hai," was his only response.

"Gomen, I asked," Kagome mumbled, anger in her voice.

Sesshoumaru's attention snapped to her once more as her disrespectful tone hit his ears. With a snarl he asked, "What did you say, wench?"

"Back off,  _youkai_ ," Kagome hissed.

They glared at one another until the bus came to a stop. The drive took down the intercom handle and spoke inside, "Students, welcome to Breeding School High." Everyone glanced out the windows on the left and saw the wonderful building.

Kagome's mouth dropped open as she stood from her seat to begin walking toward the front. She didn't know such an old yet beautiful looking building still existed in Japan. The walls were dark in color; nearly black, the windows large, and it reminded her of a castle. There were four tall towers, and light streaming from inside. As she neared the door she noticed that there was a huge looking lock on the outside, completely around the building.  _Probably to keep the students in grounds_ , she thought to herself. (Think of Hogwarts from Harry Potter just smaller and not over water.)

Sesshoumaru, too, was amazed with the beauty. It was like walking inside the latest Harry Potter film he'd seen. Except on the movies they weren't locked inside and on the grounds. He shook his head and watched as the girl named Kagome walked up the steps toward the doors.

Kagome sensing him turned to meet his gaze and huffed.  _Damn youkai looking at me after everything that went through on the bus_ , she thought. She shifted back to the doors and walked inside to find a large set of stairs and many more leading up into the building. The new students were lead to the main hall and found people sitting together; one girl and one boy each giggling or laughing with their neighbors. Kagome thought it strange that everyone girl was paired up with a male, and that they were acting like they loved each other.

Sesshoumaru looked in disgust at everyone that was holding hands, and holding each other. He too thought it strange that they would do such a thing or that the school would allow them.

"Welcome students!" came a feminine voice. "I welcome you to our little school. As you know you are not to leave the school grounds until school is over. There are tables set up for you already and I suggest you sit with your own group since you don't have your partners yet."

 _That must be Professor Ivy_ , Kagome looked up at the bright-eyed woman. She was quite stunning with the long brown hair, and grey looking eyes. Her clothes looked more like a long robe, made of purple fabric. It came down making a 'v' around her neck like a swan gliding on water. Kagome stared into her grey eyes and thought she saw a glimmer of happiness within them.

"I'm Professor Ivy, and I run the school. Here there are a few rules and they are quite simple. No one under any circumstances are allowed into the south wing until spring. This shall be explained on a later date. Art students sleep in the west wing corridor, drama in the east, and music in the north. They all are located on the fourth floor and if you invite another classmate that is fine," Professor Ivy continued with a, "Hmmm… lets see. There really is nothing else for me to say so please eat."

Everyone sat together at the art table and Kagome groaned when she got seated next to Sesshoumaru. She saw him send her a death glare and huffed toward him. Like he could ruin her day. Her cloak hung behind her and she turned when she felt a tap on the shoulder.

"Hai," Kagome asked turning to find Professor Ivy.

The Professor smiled and said, "Your Sakura Higurashi's daughter, are you not? She is a very good friend of mine, so that must make you… Kagome?"

"Hai, Professor," Kagome said. She felt lost when she gazed up into the woman's eyes and almost instantly knew why. "May I ask Professor, what type of youkai you are?"

"Ahh… as intelligent as your mother. She too realized I am not a ningen when she walked through those doors. You will make a fine art student here. I, my dear, am a jackal youkai. My ancestors came from Egypt," The Professor breathed softly.

"Arigatou, Professor Ivy," Kagome felt content being around this person. She didn't have a signal evil thing about her and she wondered if she'd feel this lightheaded every time she came close to this youkai.

"You, my boy, must be Inu's son," the Professor turned her gaze to Sesshoumaru, "The eldest, ne?"

"Hai," Sesshoumaru said.

Professor Ivy nodded. She looked between the two and smiled. They might be a fine couple during the spring but they would need to get along with each other first. With a nod she began to leave and seemed to disappear in the wind and out of sight.

Kagome shook her head and looked back at the youkai. He in turn looked back and snapped, "What are you looking at, girl?"

"An arrogant youkai who thinks he's better then everyone else when he'd at the bottom of the food chain," she countered.

"Fucking girl," he breathed.

"Baka," she said. This must have been the worst first day of school she'd every had and she could only imagine what tomorrow would be like. Probably worse, went through her mind as she began to eat her first meal.


	3. Dormitories

Kagome sighed as she walked down the halls. She'd managed to find Sango and Miroku, which wasn't so bad if they'd leave each other alone for a few seconds. Unfortunately for her though they were attached to each other like glue! It was strange, inside of this school they just wanted to touch one another but outside they had been well Sango had been hitting Miroku for touching her ass. Something about that just didn't feel right to her.

Sighing she decided to help Sango find her dorm first. After all they all had to sleep in one dormitory but the girls and boys were in different areas. Plus she wasn't in Music like Sango, and Miroku got suck in Drama. They'd all been put in different areas of the school and she kind of wished they hadn't. It would have been more fun if Sango could stay in her dorm all night, and then they'd have the same class together. Sango however was just more of a music person then she was at art.

Sango giggled once again and smacked his hands away saying, "Not in front of Kagome, dear." That struck something inside of Kagome as she looked back at them. Ok, something was really wrong, Sango never said 'dear'. What was going on with all the people that entered this school? Shaking it off she continued on following the signs and wondered just how big this school was?

Another thing why weren't they allowed in just one part of the school? ONLY ONE! That seemed a little strange to her. It wasn't like there was anything to hide within this school, and it didn't seem like a place you'd want to hide something very important. Not that she cared… but she wondered what was so important about the southern wing that they weren't allowed in?

Sango pushed Miroku once more. Her hair was allowed down since her golden cape kept her from putting it up. Her outfit was normal but Kagome could see that it was a little brighter then normal. Miroku looked quite good in his white cape, and cloak. However he was acting more lecherous then ever, since they entered the building.

Kagome looked back once more when she found the large door. Above it was a banner with a flute, fiddle, and trumpet facing each other like when you up together three swords. She looked at the gold banner and frowned. Why was it that they'd put them in different sections? What was with this 'partner' thing? What was happening to the people within these walls 'cause Miroku and Sango were acting weird?

Shaking it off she followed the duo inside hoping that once other students were around them they'd stop. Unfortunately for her though they seemed to be going at it even more, like they were trying to show off that they were a couple.

"'Tis there somethin' you need miss?" someone asked. She looked up to find another teacher and shook her head. He nodded and said, "Then ye best be off to ye dormitory because we're going to start tellin' everyone the rules soon."

"Thank you," Kagome said. She looked over at Miroku before calling out to him telling him that they needed to go. She saw the downhearted expression he gave Sango, but the girl told him she'd see him tomorrow.

Miroku followed behind silently, which was unlike the boy. He was usually talking constantly, or trying to ask people to have his child. Something seemed different about him today though, like he was thinking about something important very, very carefully.

"I wish I could sleep beside my dear, Sango," he said out loud.

Kagome turned to him saying, "Miroku, keep your perverted thoughts to yourself!"

Miroku looked shocked before saying, "Not like that Kagome, I merely meant that I wish I could be near her through the night. It is you who put the bad meaning into it."

Kagome was shocked! When did Miroku say such things? Why the hell was it that only after they come here he begins to change? Something wasn't right about it. With a sigh she began walking toward her own dormitory when Miroku headed off down another corridor. Shaking her head she walked forward, eyes closed and then…

_WHAM!_

"Hey, watch where you're goin' bitch," came a growled voice above her.

Kagome opened her eyes to see silver hair and groaned, "Not you again…"

"What do you mean 'not you again'? I haven't even seen you!" the rough voice commanded. Kagome looked up and almost gasped.

Quickly not to offend the person, she said, "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else!"

"Obviously," the boy grumbled before walking down the way Miroku had just left.

Kagome huffed at his attitude before saying, "Damn, are all boys that way around here?" She could have sworn she heard laughter from around her but shook it off running down the corridor hoping she wasn't late, for whatever they were going to tell them.

Jogging down the corridor, Kagome found herself at the large paintbrush and pencil above the door. Gazing up at the colors, she felt like something was pulling at the back of her mind… something trying to tell her about this place. Reaching forward, her hand nearly touched the wood, when… "Ms. Higurashi, would you like to join us, or examine the building all night?"

Snapping her attention forward, she found another demon like… teacher staring down at her. Smiling weakly, she snapped her hand back to her side, and walked into the dormitory. Her eyes fell upon the youkai snickering in her direction, and she felt her miko energy rise to the surface, ready to zap them all to hell.

However, before she could issue her warning, the teacher placed his hand upon her shoulder, and said, "Youkai, be nice! You as well, humans, because unlike you, Kagome has a high spiritual energy, and I'm sure none of you would like to be fatally wounded, should she decide to issue her threat. However, fighting is not permitted inside the school, and because of this Ms. Higurashi, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."

Glaring back at the youkai, she heard him sigh, before saying, "I know that the spiritual force inside the building is calling to your powers, Ms. Higurashi, but you'll still need to calm down."

Nodding, Kagome turned toward the others, her face set in indifference, though it was hard to maintain. Walking over, she sat down in a large fluffy cushion chair. Tilting her head back, her eyes caught golden ones, and she groaned.

"Are you so drawn to me,  _Ms. Higurashi,_ that you feel the need to sit by this Sesshoumaru's person every time we're in the room?" he asked, leaning back against the couch he'd taken claim to. His eyes were narrowed, as his fingers gently racked over the soft material, leaving small scratches down the fabric.

Turning toward the youkai, Kagome huffed, saying, " _Obviously, **youkai,**_ it is you who is drawn to me, since you always seem to be near the spot I choose, since I don't see your sorry youkai ass!"

"Woman…" he growled.

Giving a small 'pff' like sound, Kagome turned, her eyes training themselves on the teacher. He was showing them a pile of books they would need for  _History, Science, Math, English,_ and  _Training._  Then he began explaining the rules, which Kagome barely caught, since her eyes began drooping down toward her cheeks.

"Now, I have your schedules, and if you have your money, or you parent sent it in, you may choose between these Art 'plates' as the students have dubbed them." The teacher extended his hand toward the table behind him, and suddenly one rose from the table and began floating toward him until it lay in his hand. "This," he nodded toward the three inch high, and five inch wide plate, "is your 'ID' so to say. Basically, it tells us which house, or group you are from, so we can keep track of the students. This one here goes around you neck, and will hang in front of your clothing."

"Now, lets begin… Mr. Hoffman," he called.

Two young males stood at the same time, and looked at each other curiously, before saying, "Your last name is Hoffman? Hey, so is mine!"

The teacher frowned, before saying, "Joe Hoffman."

The taller one, stepped forward, while the other sat back down to his drawing book, and began stretching a drawing he'd been working on. Kagome, who had been sitting there for what seemed like forever, looked up when the teacher said, "Trisha Coe."

The girl she'd met on the bus came up, and took the schedule, thanking the teacher, before sitting down. Obviously, from the band, or plate around her upper arm, she was an older student, and had yet to pass. However, she did sit down next to a boy, who smiled before wrapping his arm around her back.

"Hmm… Sesshoumaru Taisho," the teacher called.

Sesshoumaru stood to his full height, and began walking toward the front, his hands inside his pockets. When he reached the front, he pulled out a $20 bill, and exchanged it for his schedule, before reaching for one of the armbands, or bracelet, but to Kagome it seemed a little to big to be any kind of bracelet.

Finally, after three other people, the teacher finally called out, "Kagome Higurashi!"

Her name was said with such respect, that people looked her way in curiousity. Frowning, Kagome walked forward, her feet gently touching the ground, before she reached the teacher. Reaching for her back pocket, she began pulling out her twenty, but the youkai teacher placed his hand on hers, and said, "Don't worry about the money, Kagome, its been taken care of."

"Huh?" Kagome asked.

"Your mother still had money left over from when she came here," the teacher explained, "So Professor Ivy, told me to merely take money from there."

Nodding, Kagome bowed a bit, and took the small slip of paper, before grabbing the necklace. As she walked back, she began fiddling with the large blue strap attached to the plate. She wasn't used to this type of attention.

Sesshoumaru watched the girl who sat before him. His feet up, he narrowed his eyes, thinking,  _why was she given so much respect? She's a mere girl! Look at her, she's nearly peeing in her pretty little skirt from the nervousness I smell coming off of her._

Gulping, Kagome placed the plate in front of her neck, and began tying the strap behind it. Once the plate was nicely tied, and would only fall a bit down, she placed her hands in her lap, and stared there with her eyes until she felt everyone look away.  _God… my face has to be burning,_ she thought. Bowing her head in shame, she couldn't help but wonder why she was so modest, and sometimes shy.

That was a mystery she'd probably never solve…

Even if she tried…


	4. Kouga Toji, An Admirer

**Ring… Ring… Ring…**

Kagome groaned, her mind finally waking up from the day before, though it hadn't really been that long. She looked around to find some of the other girls finally waking up from their own alarm clocks, as Kagome reached over to shut hers off. That constant ringing was giving her a major headache, and she really wished for it to stop.

**Ring… Ring… RING… _RING…_**

The sound seemed to get louder, and louder until she couldn't take it anymore. Sitting up, she noticed that some of the other girls were staring at her, and smiled, before turning off her alarm. Her eyes continued to look around the room, and she wondered for a moment… why they put only the same age students into one dormitory? The older students were sectioned off by being put into the other wing of the small place, but… she didn't know if they separated the boys from the girls like they were doing on this side. They'd been separated, but maybe…

 _Stop it, Kagome, that's the stupidest thing you've ever said,_ she said to herself,  _I mean come on, they're not going to put boys and girls together so they could… like, sleep together. All schools separate them, so this one must too._

Standing from her bed, Kagome stretched, her mind wondering to the night before. Constant yelling with Sesshoumaru, until finally a Irish teacher separated them. It had been quite funny, since the inuyoukai had seemed a little confused about what to do when a  _human_  – which he continued to empathize every time he said it – was yelling at him, and even insulting him. Or, maybe the surprise had been from how loud her voice was, or maybe because he wasn't used to someone being able to continuously come up with something better then what he said. Whatever reason, the youkai needed to back off.

She hadn't done anything wrong, so she really didn't see why he was acting this way. Truly, she didn't know what was wrong, and felt kind of saddened by the thought, since she liked to help others. However, the youkai was not someone she  _wanted_ to pity. Whatever had gotten her on his bad side was his own reason, as long as he stayed away.

Sighing to herself, Kagome looked around the room once more, and frowned. Everyone was staring at her, yet everyone seemed to be too frightened to approach her. Still, for whatever reason, she wished they wouldn't look at her with their hostile, and yet terrified eyes.

Turning her head, Kagome moved to her trunk, and began opening the top. Once it came open, she began pushing things around, before pulling out the outfit her mother had bought her. Sure, the skirt, and shirt were in her department's colors, and they might have seemed a little childish, but her mother had made them… so she had to wear them – at least once.

 _All right, Kagome! Now, to change without seeming like I see them all staring at me… Why are they staring in the first place?_ She shook her head, shaking the thoughts from her head, and began pulling off her nightgown. Once it came off, she began dressing, trying not to seem nervous for the new day, or snap at everyone for staring.

The others' shook their heads, finally going back to their own business. Some were jealous, since the handsome male from last night would only pay attention to the ningen girl… a plain ningen. This meant that he was calmly arguing, but with his mind occupied he wasn't paying attention to any of them. Some were envious of the way the beautiful girl looked, wishing they could look the same. Some merely wanted to know what the girl's parents had done to bring such respect to her family. Only her family, which was kind of weird, since any school – no matter where or what it was – should not be picking favorites.

Kagome yawned, reaching over toward the small dresser and grabbed her neckband, as she was now calling it. Once she held it within her hand, she gripped both straps, before bringing it up to her neck, hoping to secure it. The large plate sat limply around her neck, acting as a slight weight, which was kind of weird. You'd think something that size would be heavy, but it weighed less then a normal necklace.

Stretching her arms above her head, Kagome began moving away from the lined up beds, and toward the door. Her hand touched the wood, sending a slight tremor up her body. She could  _feel_  the castle. She didn't understand how, but she had this feeling that the giant structure was  _trying_  to  _tell_  her something. However, she ignored the feeling, not wanting to seem weirder then she already seemed.

At least, in her eyes – she had this thing about finding every flaw in her being. That didn't mean she was going to go out and commit suicide or something, since she knew right from wrong better then other people. Damn, her cousin barely knew right from wrong, which would probably be the reason why she'd already had an abortion… though, that was supposed to be a family secret.

Walking down the few set of stairs, Kagome came near the other door, the one that led to the older students. Many were already coming out, though what was strange… they were coming out in pairs.

 _There! Another one, male and female… holding hands? That one too, male, and female, hands clasped together in affection. What is wrong with these people? Shouldn't the teachers like… do something against this?_ She scratched her head, and wondered what they were going to do for the first day. She was sure they were supposed to go back down to the Grand Hall for breakfast… though she should probably ask.

"Um… excuse me?" she called. She watched as the older students merely cast her a short glance, before continuing forward. Frowning, she thought,  _rude much?_

"Is there something you need, little miss?" came a strong accent from behind her.

Kagome turned and found herself staring at the Irish teacher from before. She could easily tell he was youkai, though she wasn't sure as to what breed. However, she knocked away thoughs thoughts, and asked, "Hai, I was wondering if we were supposed to go down to the Grand Hall for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday?"

"That would be correct, miss," he said, seeping past her. She watched as he moved toward the Sitting Room, before waving his hands about. She heard him say, "Get your lazy arses' down to breakfast before I decide to drag ya there, ya lovesick pieces a flesh."

Shaking her head, Kagome began moving, watching as the older students moved toward, hands still clasped together. The only strange thing was, they would separate, and speak with friends, before going back to the male or female they'd left.  _So… they talk to people, but they don't answer questions?_  Ok, now she was just getting annoyed.

She felt like someone was boring a hole in the back of her head, when she turned it, to find the youkai, Sesshoumaru, staring straight at her. His green cape was tilted to the side, though they were told they didn't need to wear them, since they were only to show the teachers which section they belonged to. His golden eyes were staring straight at her head, probably trying to make it catch fire or something, but she tried to ignore it. However, she was slightly sure that she would never be able to ignore that…  _thing_.

oOo

Sesshoumaru walked forward, his silver hair swaying gently behind him. His eyes caught sight of many things as he moved away from their dormitory. First was his half-brother, who had jumped down a flight of stairs, chasing after a girl far ahead. Second, was the resemblance the girl had to that bitch from the night before. Third, were all the other students, which were, either moving away from him, staring, or plain ignoring him. That in itself was weird, since all the females' should be staring at his handsome face, yet… they were hanging over  **boys'**  that looked less… handsome, and more… ugly… Yeah, those were the right words.

His eyes caught hold of many things, as he reached up to tuck a strand of hair before his pointed ear. His hair was shining, that he knew, since it took at least two weeks before it began to even look filthy. Not that he'd ever let it get that way, since his hair was as much apart of him as his… well, every humanoid part of him. He wasn't going to think all the things it could be ' _as much apart of him as'._

His cold eyes traveled over the different females', silently glad that they weren't hanging on him. True, they usually stopped after a while when he changed schools, but at first they'd be asking him everywhere, only to get a cold stare. They'd try and win his favor, which made him hate them worse. However, this was something he couldn't understand, since they were usually trying to get into his pants… and he was sure that as an inuyoukai he'd be a  **lot**  bigger then any of these wimps.

His ego swelled though to see all the younger students staring at him. That meant that these people did notice him, they were merely ignoring his… beauty. Yes, that was the right word, since he was more then handsome. His family line was full of beautiful people, male or female… except for Inuyasha; that boy was just to… rough.

Still, his eyes lingered on his brother for a moment, watching as he talking to another drama student. She was obviously not interested, since she kept waving her hand, and giggling nervously. Obviously signs that she did not wish to be there.

However, his eyes did not linger long, when he caught an all too familiar scent. His instincts instantly recognized the scent when he caught hold of it, and he glared. His eyes searched the crowd, before he finally caught sight of her. Her hair was swaying back and forth, her green outfit clinging to her. She probably didn't even notice how much the outfit clung to her skin, which disgusted him, but from how she was moving… it looked roomy.

The long sleeves reached past her hands, hanging down a little lower then what he would have thought. The fabric wrapped around her like a pair of lovers arms, clinging to her flesh, yet loosening when she swayed her hips. It barely touched the skirt, which would have looked like a regular skirt to the eye, but to his more superior one, he could clearly see the difference. It was longer then what he would have expected, but the slight slit could barely be seen, probably for a good reason. However, what caught his attention was the fact it wasn't in the fold-over style, which most school skirts were. Hers was straight, in a deep green, which actually went well with her hair, and it was made to be longer on one side then the other. However, the girl walked as if she didn't notice how much she was showing off.

He watched as she stiffened a little, before regarding him briefly. Her eyes narrowed for only a moment, before she turned away from him, her nose higher then before as she continued on. Well, two could play at this game… even if he wasn't sure why he was playing.

Sniffing the air, he caught hold of something youkai. Ookami to be exact, which meant the youkai, would be persistent after he edged him on. Though closely related, wolves seemed to think that if a female or male was interested in them, then they should constantly hound on them about it. They thought that if a person was interested in them, then they should give it a try, even if the person turned them down hundreds of times. He could have fun with this, especially since that Higurashi girl decided to wear something a little more revealing then she should have.

Then again, maybe he was sinking too low; she was human, after all.

 _Iie… not low enough, but it shall do,_ he thought. Smirking a bit, he turned his head to find the ookami walking not to far behind him. The boy was wearing a gold cape, telling them that he was a music boy. Though, that could have been confirmed merely by seeing the trumpet in his hand. Obviously the boy liked his class a bit too much.

Making his smirk disappear, he called out, saying, "Wolf!"

The ookami looked up at him, a slight glare in his eyes. However, he moved forward, the hair hanging from his ponytail moving back and forth. His cape was pushed forward so he could keep his hair in the near high ponytail. Not that it mattered to Sesshoumaru, but he would do anything at this point to get back at the little bitch who'd argued with him… and dare he say it…  _won_.

Nobody beat Sesshoumaru Taisho, and got away with it. He might not rule this school like he did the last one, but he could probably make the little girl's life as miserable as possible. This wolf would just be the starting point, and then later in the month he'd find something to use against her, before starting to go into the juicy stuff that would ruin her. Who knew, since the school was four years long – which confused him, since he'd be nineteen summers by then instead of eighteen – he might be able to get her to drop out?

"What do you want, dog?" the wolf asked, standing next to him. His claws were lightly wrapped around the gold metal of his trumpet, and he gazed up at the dog with hate. He had a bad feeling about this… however, he wasn't rude, and merely watched as the dog looked into his light blue eyes and began to speak.

Using his best acting voice, which worked all the time with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru said, "You see that girl up there?" He pointed to the annoying bitch who'd given him trouble; Kagome Higurashi was about to meet her match. The girl would find a reason to hate him, even after she said all she wanted to do was be friends. In fact, he could still remember the exact words she'd said.

" _Why are you being so… so… so mean to me? I'm was just trying to be friends, and you… I don't get it! I don't see what I did to you! I mean all I said was 'gomen' on the bus, and you got all snappy me!" she'd screamed._

" _Hai, you said you were sorry, but I can tell the difference between sarcastic and honesty," he growled, rising from his seat. He watched as the girl made an attempt to get in his face, but her height made it near impossible._

_Her eyes flashed, as she said, "I agree that I was a little sarcastic, but I only said it because of the way you said you were fine. You don't know me, youkai, and for that you don't know what makes me angry."_

" _That's correct, girl. I don't know you, and I don't want to. In fact, this Sesshoumaru wishes he never met you," he growled._

" _Another thing," she said, turning away from him, "why do you talk about yourself in third person?"_

" _This Sess-"_

" _I've just made my point," she said, walking away._

"Yeah, I see her…" the wolf said. Turning toward the dog, he asked, "Hey, you still here, or off in some world that you can only see?"

Turning his head toward the wolf, he said, "Her name is Higurashi, Kagome. She's my best friend, and as such I thought it was good to see her happy. However, she's very shy, and doesn't seem to want to speak with you."

"Me?" the wolf blinked.

"Hai… um… I'm afraid we never got your name. We were talking about you, but she got so embarrassed that she ran off, no longer wishing to speak with me, which left me here alone," he said, easily lying. It just seemed to slip from his lips; even though there was a slight disgust in his voice as her said she was his…  _friend_. She was far from it.

"My name is Kouga Toji," he said. "I still don't see why you would be telling me this. I mean if she likes me, then shouldn't she tell me herself?"

"Well, hai, but she's just so shy. I can't get  _Kags_ to talk to most of the boys she gets a crush on. Since I'm like a big brother to her, and I don't think you're a bad person, I thought that maybe you could make her happy…" he started. He thought for a moment, before saying, "If you want to crush her feelings, then I suggest you stay away from her. I won't be having Kags crying on my shoulder."

"Hey…" Kouga began, grinning like the wolf he was, "if a beautiful woman likes me, I'm not going to take it upon myself to hurt her… physically, or emotionally."

"Good," he lied, "cause if you hurt her, I'll rip out your guts, and use them as a jump rope, before shoving them down your throat." God, he was good. His acting skills were almost perfect, but his art was better. Besides, he never was once for Drama or anything like acting; he merely loved to draw and paint.

He watched as this Kouga's eyes lit up, before he dashed off, obviously going to try and win the woman's favor. God, this would be fun to watch. He hadn't had some amusement like this in years, and it would actually be fun to watch as she tried to get this Kouga fellow to leave her be. Since he was ookami, though, he'd probably continue to try until she finally screamed her head off, crushing his hopes, and his newly found dreams.

Aww, what a dangerous web he'd weaved.

oOo

Kagome walked into the Grand Hall, her feet slightly hurting from the speed she was using. She didn't wish to have another confrontation with that jerk of an inuyoukai. Really, she'd met lesser youkai with more manners, and they couldn't form a humanoid form, either. Well, most of them were very polite because they were hungry, and couldn't do anything except be nice, unless you fed them. Once you did, they were still pretty nice, since they were normally grateful.

However, that jerk didn't know what manners were. Hell, they could probably come up and bite him in the ass and he'd never notice. Either that or… she got this faint image of him turning upon them, his claws raised, saying, "Die." Still, even as she forced down her giggle, she knew that the inu would probably try to stay as far away from manners. It was probably just something he didn't wish to do.

Walking forward, she past some of the older students, and heard them whispering. However, when she came close enough, the girls' began to giggle, and the guys' chuckle. After she past, though, they once more leaned in to have their own little conversation. For whatever reason, she was sure the older students weren't supposed to speak with the younger, though that did seem a little strange. Maybe it had something to do with the spring thing, or perhaps they just didn't like talking with younger people.

Shaking her head, she moved forward, easily finding Sango and Miroku. However, when she found them, they were leaning on each other, their hands locked as if in a final moment together. She didn't understand that either, Sango and Miroku never showed their love this way, and they usually tried to keep it far away from others. Then, they walked into this school, and suddenly they're all over each other. She didn't like this… she didn't like this at all.

Who knew, she could find herself hanging all over some guy too. What's worse is that guy could end up being that stupid Sesshoumaru, since the teacher's would probably pick their  _partners;_ whatever they meant by that. Really, partners were ok, but usually they needed up being girl/girl, boy/boy, not girl/boy – once in a while girl/boy - everywhere in the school.

No, that wasn't true, she'd saw a pair of boys with their hands clasped together. Just one pair, but they were hanging on each other, obviously liking it too. Still, even that was odd to her, and since she was the type of person to dig her nose into things, she wanted to know why.

Freeing her mind of thought once more, she moved toward the Art Section, which was only a table over. However, when she sat down, she had this odd feeling that someone was going to come up… and…

"Hey, I heard… well, you see…" came a voice, "I heard from your friend… that you… um… liked me… and I was wondering if you'd… like to… um… go out on a date or something. I mean I'm sure we could be a very happy couple…"

She stopped listening, and turned her head away, and wondered what the hell this boy was talking about. She could easily tell it was a youkai, the power radiating from his person couldn't be that of a ningen… but that wasn't important. She could always,  **always** tell when some stupid boy was going to come up and ask her on a date. How, she didn't know, but she knew.

Turning toward him, she smiled a bit, and said, "What's your name?"

"Kouga Toji," he said. He grinned, before saying; "Anyway, I'd really like to go out some time, since you're… quite lovely. In fact, I believe you're beautiful enough to become my woman!"

She blinked, noticing how she voice no longer held that innocent sound. It was heavy, and full of excitement. Turning her head away, she asked, "Oh, and who told you that I liked  _you_?"

"Um… I donno," he said.

Sighing, she narrowed her eyes, and growled, "What did he or she look like?"

"Oh, well, he was tall-" he started, only to be cut off. He shut his mouth when her lovely voice hit his ears, and felt his inner demon purr with delight. Obviously the beast wanted them girl, but he'd promised her friend not to hurt her.

"Was he an inuyoukai, with silver hair, golden eyes, and a green cape?" she asked, anger in her voice.

"Yeah…" he began. However, when he closed his eyes, and raised his hand to begin counting off the reasons and things he'd do to keep her happy, he never noticed that she was starting to walk away. When his eyes opened, he saw her gone, and looked around, wondering where she'd gone?

Kagome walked away when he began, and quickly moved toward the glint of silver she saw. Her eyes narrowed, and she wondered why the hell he'd do something like this? What the hell had she done to him? Ok, she'd yelled, and probably gotten on his nerves, but that was no reason to stoop so low.

Her tapping feet seemed to lift into the air and drown out the laughing, giggling, talking, whispering, clanging of forks, spoons, plates, and other various noises. Everything seemed to get quiet as she finally reached the youkai, and snorted. It was not the sound she wished to make, but it had come out in her anger, before she snarled, "So, now you're trying to hook me up?"

"Oh, you've met Kouga Toji?" he asked, smirking.

"Hai, and I don't like what you're doing, Sesshoumaru," she spat, disgust written clearly in her words. Her eyes had lit up with an inner fire, and she wasn't about to give up. He would back down… even if it took all year to get him to leave her alone.

"What would that be, human?" he asked, boredom ringing in the air. He too had noticed how quiet it had gotten, and lowered his voice, not wanting people to stare at him.

"I can't believe you sent him to try and get me to date him! You are not my  _friend,_ and hopefully that will not change," she hissed.

"This Sesshoumaru is glad we're still on the same page," he growled.

Sitting next to him, since everyone had seemed to scoot away, Kagome glared up at him, her elbows resting against the table. She was sitting so her legs were stretched out in front of her, but not under the table, since she was leaning back against the table. She saw him narrowed his eyes, and said, "Oh, were you saving this seat for someone? Gomen, but I'm afraid it now belongs to me."

"Go find someone else to nag at, wench," he said, shoot her a small glance.

Leaning toward him, she stared into his eyes, which were now staring at her. "Now, why would  _this wench_ wish to do that?"

Before he could say anything, he heard Kouga's voice yell, "There's my woman."

"Oh god," was whispered from the girl beside him. He saw her roll her eyes, and mumbled something about 'stupid admires, and there stupid habits.' Grinning to himself, he watched as Kouga tried to pull the girl up into his arms, however, something happened, and the wolf was repealed from her.

Blinking at the holy energy, he said, "You're a miko?"

"Yeah, that would be why I was raised at a shrine," Kagome grinned. Though she'd given away one of her secrets, which would probably make most of the youkai hate her, she was glad that the Kouga boy couldn't get at her now. Her mother had taught her well, and she wasn't going to let that training go to waste. Sure, she couldn't hurt little Kouga, but she sure as hell wasn't going to allow him within five feet.


	5. Classes, You Betray Me

**First Period**

Kagome walked down the hall. Her shoes tapped the floor lightly, as she lifted her books higher onto her chest. She was now heading for her first period, History. Actually, History was her favorite lesson, so she'd wanted it to be at the end of the day, but unfortunately, she couldn't chose which class she went to each hour. So, she was stuck, and was now heading toward a large door that had the banner, "History of the Ages" written on it, hanging over the door. She didn't know why it said, "of the Ages" since history was history, but she wasn't going to complain.

Still, she had a long hallway to walk before she actually reached the doorway. Her eyes were gazing at the painting, and mirrors lined up against the walls. There were pictures of students, all with another person, while some looked to be the teachers. All of them were separate, but she didn't understand why they had pictures of probably graduated students.

 _That's odd,_ she thought, stopping in front of one. She frowned, leaning closer to the painting, but before she could read the name of the male and female inside the painting - one which the female looked to be pregnant, and the male very happy to know she was – she was shoved. However, as she was pushed down toward the History classroom, she continued to think about that painting. Maybe she'd be able to look at it some other time, since she wasn't going to get the privilege at the moment.

However, as she smiled at the teacher, who was standing outside the door, her mind turned back to the painting. Even when she found an empty desk and began setting her bag off to the side her mind turned to that painting. She could have sworn she'd seen a female that looked just like that somewhere. However, it just wouldn't click, since none of her older friends looked that way, and she didn't know anyone that would have gone to the school.

The painting still haunted her thoughts though, telling her something, yet at the same time, staying hidden. She just couldn't place it, so for the time being, she decided to put it in the back of her head, and not think on it.

She heard a slight growl, when she sat down, though. Turning her head to the side, she glared, finally noticing who had to sit by her. Sesshoumaru was standing, many girls behind him, all trying to get his attention. However, even as they told him he could sit by them, he took one look at the seat on the outside of her – the only seat, so no one would sit by him – and took it. The girls seemed disappointed, and glared at her for a moment, before going off to their own seats.

"Miko," he said.

"Youkai," she replied, her voice chipped with ice.

He turned his head to her, obviously not pleased with her attitude. "Do not address this Sesshoumaru with such informality, miko."

"Then address  **me** by my name, youkai," she snorted.

"Miko," he warned.

"Youkai," she said, her voice snotty. She didn't like him, he didn't like her; that was that, and it wasn't about to change.

"You will show respect toward me," he growled.

Kagome glared, "And why should I do that, youkai?"

"I am your superior," Sesshoumaru snarled. His lip was pulled up showing off a set of deadly fangs. He didn't like her; she was annoying, she was irritating, she didn't show him respect, and she was extremely plain. He was pretty sure she felt nearly the same way, for different reasons.

Still, he had to admit he could find one good thing about her dumb ass. He liked the fact that she didn't throw herself at him when they first met. True, she had tried to make friends - because he thought he didn't need any, backfired - but she had had good intentions. It proved one thing, though; she was too good hearted for her own damn good.

The girl needed a life.

"Really! How so?" she asked, her eyes wide with mock surprise.

"I am-" he began, however a slight tapping at the chalkboard cut him short. He growled again at the stupid miko, before turning his head away. His eyes caught sight of a pretty woman, though she did seem a little older then she tried to act.

Her hair was up in pigtails, its golden locks flowing down gently. Her light blue eyes were looking around with happiness, though he could tell she was slightly angered that people were still talking, even though she'd called them to order. Well, she'd merely tapped the board, which should have gotten everyone's attention, especially after she did it again, louder. Still, he could hear the giggling, and talking, which were coming from girls. Not surprising, to say the least.

"Hello, and welcome to  _History of the Ages,_ my students. I see some bright faces, though," she eyed Sesshoumaru, "I can also see some of you who just wish you weren't here. But I am going to do my best as a teacher to teach you, which is my job. Oh, first, my name is Ms. Kumo; it's my ex-husband's last name. Don't ask, I forgot to have it changed, and everyone here would get confused.

"Now, lets see. I have a good feeling about this group; yes, I can tell that some of you," she looked toward Kagome, smiling, since they were in the front row, "will enjoy my class. For those of you who don't, I have a few rules. They are to keep you in line, however, I will be switching your seats momentarily, since some of you  **are** still talking!" She was standing before a redhead, and a short girl with black hair. They continued to giggle, and speak in low tones, until she lifted one of their books and dropped it onto the table.

"Yes Ms. Kumo?" the black haired girl asked.

"Names?" Ms. Kumo replied, her tone even.

"Ayame Takashi," the redhead replied.

Ms. Kumo nodded, before turning to the other girl. She seemed to be a little more to attention, as she said, "Ours?"

"Kirara Nemo," the girl replied, her voice soft.

"First rule: wherever you are sitting will be your seat for the rest of the year, unless I decide to move you. No, you may not ask to be moved. Unless you cause something on purpose, which involves your seating partner, then you will continue to sit there. Now, Ayame, Kirara, stand!" she ordered. There were many groans after she'd said they were stuck sitting where they were.

"Yes madam," Kirara replied, standing instantly. It wasn't hard to tell that she was a neko youkai, who'd gained the ability to transform into a humanoid appearance. Her red eyes, with silted black pupils pointed that out. Her hair was also streaked with white, though the main part was completely black, as if it were a void that could suck in anything at anytime.

Ayame, however, was slower on standing. Her green eyes were glaring off to the side, obviously not enjoying what was happening. However, when she looked up at the now glaring teacher, who'd fingernails were tapping against her desk, she sat up instantly, not liking the look at all.

"Next time, Miss Takashi, you will fail my class for not only disturbing it, and taking longer to do the simple command I gave you, but also for not doing it when I asked. It would seem you're going to be one of my more troublesome students this year," Ms. Kumo said, her tone dark.

"But!" Ayame whined.

"No buts, Miss Takashi. The next time you fail to do as I ask on time, unless its an assignment – which would go on your report card, though I'm sure that will be low by the end of the year – I will fail you. I don't care how much homework you turn in, or how many extra credit assignments you do, you will be failed," she turned toward the class, snapping, "that goes for all of you. It's my second rule!

"Third rule: all assignments must be turned in on time; failure to do so will get you a zero," she returned to the board, leaving the two girls standing where they were. She scribbled down what she was saying, before skipping down a line. "However, this rule has an exception. Though you will get zero at first, you may raise it. On the first day, the assignment will be half credit. On the second day, it will be a third of the credit. On the third day it will be a fourth of the credit. However, anything turned in four days after the due date will get you a big, fat zero!

"Fourth rule: you must raise your hand to answer any questions asked," she growled, as if remembering years when students had no, "there is no exception. Either you do, or I will cut your grade in half. Trust me, in my class it is very hard to get that grade, which would be an F-, back up. So, I suggest you raise your hand… well, actually I'm wrong on one thing. There is actually an exception to this rule, sorry 'bout that." She erased the ' **NO EXCEPTIONS** ' she'd wrote underneath the rule, and began saying, "The only time you may answer a question without raising your hand is when we have a game. I like to make things fun, so every once in a while – when you're good – I like to allow you some time to play a trivia game, which allows you to merely shout out. Of course, I will have a youkai come up and listen for who says question first, but other then that, you must raise your hand.

"Fifth rule:  **no cheating**! During tests, during assignments, during anything! There is no exception to this rule, and I will tell you why. Should you cheat, and I mean on anything we do in this class, then the paper will be ripped up, and you will get an F on it.

"Sixth rule," her piece of chalk continued to scratch across the board, " **no excuses**." She underlined it when she wrote it; actually, she underlined it many, many times, just to get her point across. "I get many excuses each and every year, whether it's from my better students, who are telling the truth, or from my bad students, who are usually lying. If I think you may be telling the truth, which is a very, very,  _very_ small chance that I might, I will send you to another teacher. She is the training instructor, who will tell you all about herself when you meet her. I believe this class will have her at the end of the day. Yes? What is your name?"

"Josh, Ms. Kumo," he replied. "I was wondering, what did you mean by  _this_ class? Shouldn't we all go to different classes after this one?"

"Ahh… first let me tell you about what I will do, and then I shall answer your question, Josh. All right, now this teacher, who will have you call her Professor, since she is the second in command at this school, is a youkai. A black inyoukai, with a very nasty temper should you get on her bad side, in fact. Her name is Katana Fang, but you must call her Professor Katana. Anyway, I will send you to her should I believe you might actually be truthful. She, being many, many years old in ningen years, was an assassin before she came here. She is very good at telling if someone has lied, or told the truth. Even if you could get past a polygraph test, you would not get past her. During her assassin years, she had to get a lot of information.

"Anyway, enough about her. Now, for your question Josh, I was supposed to tell you this. Actually, all the teachers are supposed to tell their classes how the day works. Now, in the morning, as you should know, you go down to the Main Hall and eat breakfast. Then, you will all come here for History class. However, the older students will be in their section classes right now. You all are from the Art section, so you will all move as a group. This school does not except many, many students, so our rooms are big enough to support the entire piece of a section at one time.

"Each year, your section classes will get longer. Not by much, but they will. There are many other teachers, who will teach you more advanced things then we do this year, so the older students will go to them once their section class is over. However, that really isn't important until you get there," she sighed.

"As I was saying," she said, "look at this room. It is huge, in my opinion. Just big enough to hold all the Art students, and probably half of one of the other classes as well. After this you will all be going to the same classroom, though I don't know which one it is. Then, you will continue to go to the other teachers, until you go to your Art class. It will last for two hours, as you should know, before you will all go to your training class. That I do know, since all the classes are the same, and Katana can handle every section at once at ease…"

Kagome's hand shot up in the air.

"Yes? Name?" Ms. Kumo asked.

"Kagome Higurashi," Kagome said.

"Ah… you're Sakura's daughter, are you not? I had her when she was around your age. Well, I probably had a lot of your parents, since I myself am youkai. I believe that only four or five of the first year classes have ningen teachers. To keep them in line of course," she mumbled, obviously going off inside her head.

"Yes, Sakura is my mother… though I don't see why everyone seems to like that so much," Kagome said, "however, I was wondering, why won't the older students talk to us?"

"Have you tried?" she replied. Though she knew full well why they wouldn't talk, she did know they should answer questions. They weren't allowed to talk about the south wing, but they could talk about anything else. Well, unless Professor Ivy had come up with a new rule that they weren't informed of.

"Yes, I tried to get their attention, cause I wanted to know if we were supposed to go down to the Main Hall for breakfast. They wouldn't answer me, though… but they did look at me kind of funny after they instantly stopped talking," she said.

"Hm… I'm not quite sure what to tell you, Kagome. The older students have always been a bit strange; though this is the first group I've ever known to ever completely ignore the younger students. I wonder why," she thought aloud.

"Ms. Kumo?" Kagome asked, making the teachers attention snap to her once more. "Why are the older students all paired up?"

"Ah… well, you are full of questions, aren't you Kagome? Questions are good, for they bring information, though that information may not always be the right information. However, while in a classroom, with a quest for knowledge, it is a good thing, because you will learn," Ms. Kumo stopped, slightly afraid she might say too much.

Kagome didn't take it, "I know I might sound rude, Ms. Kumo, but you're ignoring my question."

Many other Art students began to agree with Kagome. They too had noticed how the older students walked around holding hands, and speaking, usually to  _only_ the person they were holding hands with. However, they did talk to the other older students, while they seemed to completely ignore them.

Her eyebrow rose, and she smiled, "You shall be told later in the year, Kagome. You all will." She knew the young woman wasn't satisfied, but she took the information with a nod. For that she was grateful, though she did eye the two students she'd left standing for a moment before turning back to the young Kagome. She noticed how the inuyoukai next to her was staring at her, his eyes narrowed in thought, before he shook his head and turned away. Well, she had something to tell Professor Ivy. True, she made the final decision, but the teachers did tell her the way the students acted together; their behavior around certain people in the classroom; also, which student they thought would fit with another student. This early in the year was a very good sign, even if the inuyoukai didn't seem to like the ningen girl.

 _Stupid miko,_ Sesshoumaru's beast raised its head when he began to speak. The beast had yet to actually say something for the last couple of hours, but it obviously wished to tell him something. However, he was surprised when he was wrong. The beast merely turned its head, as if disgusted with his treatment of a powerful miko. Shaking that feeling away, he continued,  _she should realize that they aren't going to tell us what goes on. True… I can smell faint hints of it, but I do believe they are not only allowing the older students to become close, but do things that would not even be allowed anywhere then a bedroom. I wonder why?_

 _Baka_ could be heard in the back of his head.

 _What,_ he snapped?

 _Baka-master,_ his beast replied. It obviously knew something he didn't, since his nose, and his other senses had been coated over every since he walked into this stupid school. He knew there was something going on; he knew that some of the older students were having sex in their own time; what he didn't know, if the teachers' were allowing it. He didn't know why he kept thinking about these things, since it was really none of his business, and he didn't know what lie ahead.

 _This Sesshoumaru needs to stop thinking,_ he thought. So, with that, he pushed the thoughts, and the questions away. He knew that the teacher, Ms. Kumo, was standing in front of him, so he raised his cold eyes up toward her.

"Mr. Taisho, how nice of you to join us," she said. When she saw his surprised look, she said, "Don't look so surprised, I did, after all, teach your father. I also taught your mother. It is obvious," she grabbed his face, turning it to the side, "to tell who your parents were. You look just like your father, but your face is more like your mother's."

He growled, pulling his face away from her grasp. However, when he heard a giggle from next to him, he turned his attention to Kagome, and growled at her. His eyes flashed for a moment, but she just raised her hand, letting it fall on his.

"Oh, don't be that way, Sessho," she said. She giggled again, until she felt his hand turn into a fist, and his eyes flash once more. Gasping, as if in surprise, she moved away from him. "Please don't be angry, Sesshoumaru," she pleaded.

"Never say that name again, disrespectful miko," Sesshoumaru growled.

"Oh, you'll come to love it someday, Sessho," she replied, smiling.

Turning his head, he felt her hand touch his again. He moved it away, but before he could, he felt a slight tingling go through him. Not a good tingle either, it signaled miko energy, as he turned back to Kagome. Her eyes were changing to a white color, showing off her holy powers, as she pulled her hand away. She was obviously trying to warn him off, even though she'd just used that sweet, innocent tone with him.

"Now, now, you two." Ms. Kumo continued to watch as Kagome tried to make the best of the situation, but also telling Sesshoumaru that he was up against a youkai's worst enemy. She turned from them saying, "Because of that little display, which has wasted nearly the rest of my time for this class, you two are going to work on the first partner assignment this year!"

"Wh-what?" Kagome gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

"You heard me, Higurashi," she replied. She turned to go toward Ayame and Kirara, who were still standing. "Now, lets find you, Ayame, another place to sit. Kirara you may stay here."

"Hai, Ms. Kumo," Kirara said, sitting back down.

It only took the rest of the, surprisingly, five minutes for Ms. Kumo to find another place for Ayame to sit. Apparently, though she did have a concealment spell to make her look human, she could still hear like any youkai. She'd heard a boy, named Jakotsu, trying to flirt with the guy in front of him. So, she'd moved him back with Kirara, where he'd found a fast friend. Though you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him, you could tell he liked guys when you put him within five feet of a cute one. Really, even Kagome had at first thought he was dateable if they were outside the school, until he turned to the boy he'd been speaking with and said, "Hey, I'll see you around cute-y. Don't forget to write… better yet, my bed just a couple away from yours, you can—" he'd been cut off by the teacher.

Finally, once the bell rung, Kagome was happy to pick up her bag and leave the classroom behind. It was all Sesshoumaru's fault that she'd have to work with him on the first partner assignment. Hopefully, that would be a long time from then, and Ms. Kumo would forget she'd ever said it. Then again, a youkai's memory was said to be very good, and she'd probably never forget the torture she was putting her through.

With a sigh, Kagome walked past the paintings in the hallway, her mind completely forgetting about the one she'd seen earlier. Though somewhere in her mind she was aware of passing it, she didn't acknowledge it was there, nor did she really care anymore. Besides, she'd probably never know who the person was anyway.

**Corridor**

Sesshoumaru growled, stomping away from the class. Like Kagome, he too had a shoulder bag, which held everything he would need for his classes. Well, since he could easily carry the books he'd just decided to take them all. He also had other things, like paper, pens, pencils, notepads, a planner, an address book, since his father wanted him to meet new people, and a few other items he was supposed to give to Inuyasha. If he could ever find the idiot boy! Inuyasha was probably lost and confused.

His claws came up to gently touch the armband. The strap was tied around his bicep, letting the plate rest in front of his clothing. He knew that Inuyasha had probably gotten the headband, which probably looked extremely hideous on the lad. In fact, he could have sworn he saw the silver plate on top of his head when he'd seen him this morning. Not that it really mattered to him, but he did need to find the boy, except the baka had disappeared when he entered the Main Hall.

Still, his mind backtracked to what the History teacher had said. He was stuck with all those bakas' from his first class. Worse, he'd never get away from Kagome, unless he managed to sit a classroom away from her. The only problem with that was if he sat next to any other girl they would probably try and speak with him. At least Kagome wouldn't say a damn word unless she felt unnerved by his presence. Or when she felt she could annoy him.

He could always sit next to a boy, but knowing them, they'd probably want some slut next to them. Either that or just some pair of breasts to look at while they were taking notes, or picking up a pencil that had  _accidentally_ fell to the floor. He might have enough respect for women not to continue to stare at their bodies, but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of the male mind.

Damn, Kagome seemed like the best choice, yet sitting next to her, since she was obviously looking into things way too much, might make her think he wanted her or something. He hated her, yet she was the best choice if he didn't want someone annoying him more then she did with mere talking. Well, he could always sit by himself, though the next teacher probably wouldn't allow that. Then again, it was something he could always try.

Maybe he'd get away with it.

Then again, since Inuyasha had been born, it was like his good luck had gone down the tube. Well, he still had his good moments, but other times he seemed to get everything pushed against him. He could handle it, since he was more mature then Inuyasha, and he sure as hell wasn't jealous that the boy got anything just by pouting. It was pathetic. However, Inuyasha just made it more so, since he was, after all, in his teen years.

Shaking his head, he began moving toward the next classroom, before he actually noticed that Kagome was walking close behind him. Growling, he asked, "You must love this Sesshoumaru, ningen miko, for you are constantly around my person."

"Oh, I'm just going to class, Sesshoumaru. Now that you mention it, though, you must love talking with me, or maybe hearing my voice, since you're  **constantly**  pulling me into a conversation," Kagome smirked.

"Miko," he said, "I loath you."

"Feelings mutual, dog boy," she said, moving past him.

Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of her wrist, before snarling, "Never…  **never** call me that!"

Kagome gripped his wrist between her fingers, allowing miko energy to flow into her fingertips. She needed him calm, but as his eyes began turning completely red, she knew that he was probably losing the battle quickly. She, honestly, didn't care what she said, but her better side won. "Calm down, Sesshoumaru. I… Gomen."

"Never call me that name, miko. I will kill you if you do! I will never be known as my brother," he snarled, his inner youkai nearly breaking free. However, he kept control, remembering that violence was not allowed inside the school. He was not sure if he could even harm the miko, but he wanted to so badly. He wanted to rip her to pieces.

Kagome frowned, allowing a calming aura to wrap around his now raging one. It was solid, and strong, trying to fight against her light blue one. His, however, was blood red, with black mixed throughout it. Her eyes became soft, even further then she wanted them to. "Sesshoumaru… I do not know your brother," she whispered.

"Lies," he hissed.

"Sesshoumaru," she said, "I swear to you, I do not know your brother."

"Then how, miko, did you smell of him when you came into the dormitory last night?" he growled. He pulled at her wrist, delighted that she winced away from him. However, he fought against the calmness now running through him, since his youkai was, amazingly, frightened by the strength of her holiness.

She could kill him… yet she did not. She merely wanted him to calm down; she was even trying to sooth his mind with words. He would not believe her, though. She lied! She had smelled like she'd been in contact with his brother's body. She'd yet to take a bath, though she'd probably taken one the night, or the morning they came. She continued to lie that she did not know his brother, though.

"Well, I did run into someone with silver hair, and dog ears when I was coming to the dormitory. At first I thought it was you, and he told me to 'watch it, wench' or something. If that was your brother, I did not know, honest," Kagome said. She knew she had to stay calm, she had to take the pain, or his beast would lash out at her.

"Onegai, Sesshoumaru," she pleaded, "We must go to class. We cannot stay here and fight all day."

Though he was still wary that she might strike him down, he nodded. His eyes shifted, and when the miko began walking ahead of him, he kept a good eye on her aura. Should it turn threatening at any moment, he would be gone. Out the window; down the corridor; into the smallest space that would fit him; anyway to get away from her. Though her power was great, she would not be able to keep up with his speed, which was much to his advantage. She could try to take him out, but with his speed he'd take her out faster then she could blink.

Kagome continued forward, keeping herself calm, and collected, even though his aura was pressing against her. She wanted to simply get away; she knew she wasn't that strong, though her mother had always told her that she was more then she thought. She was more on the weak side in her opinion, where her mother was strong, and wise. She knew she wasn't supposed to compare herself to her mother, but over the years, her mother had become her idol. She couldn't help but see the flaws between them both.

Still, she wanted nothing more then to crush the aura pressing against her own. She even sent a glare toward Sesshoumaru, but he was glaring at her. Obviously she'd done something that had upset him, though she'd really done nothing at all. She didn't understand why he was trying to search how her aura was shifting, since she'd backed away from his. So, why was he doing it? Usually youkai only got so close when they were mating, or when they didn't trust anything about a person. Well, she wasn't lying on a bed, and his aura was coated with hatred, so she was pretty sure it was the latter of the two options.

Sesshoumaru smirked, his ears picking up the greeting of their next teacher. Since they were both off to Math, they were heading in the same direction. The miko probably knew this, but she probably knew a lot of things. However,  **he**  knew the bell would probably signal for them to be inside the classroom very soon.

His aura suddenly backed off, and she turned toward him. However, when she did, she felt something rush past her. Her eyes never saw him, but when she turned back, she did see the flash of white going straight into the arch of their next class. When he turned to smirk at her, obviously trying to say that he was pleased with his accomplishment, the bell rung.

Her heart sank.

**Second Period**

"Ah… Miss Higurashi, how nice of you to join us," Mr. Evens greeted. However, his voice turned cold, "I expect you on time tomorrow, Miss Higurashi. One of my rules is no tardiness is excepted."

"Hai, sir," she replied. She scanned the room, and went to sit with the Kirara girl from her class before. She noticed that Sesshoumaru was sitting with one of the boys, obviously wanting nothing to do with her. Plus, they were about half of classroom away from each other. Yes, she would probably like this classroom much better then the first.

"Now, I have the seating chart," Mr. Evens heard groans coming from the students, "Did you honestly think I was going to be like your first teacher and let you sit wherever you wanted? I have went through your pervious school records, and seated you with one person who's done nothing, and one person who tends to cause trouble. Now, come here and find where you're sitting, all of you!"

A hand shot up.

"Hai?" Mr. Evens asked, beginning to write on the chalkboard.

"Couldn't you just read it off, Mr. Evens?" a girl with blonde hair asked. "It would probably be faster."

"True," he said. He didn't even try to thank the girl as he began reading off where the students sat, patting the top of the desk gently. As he did, people moved, and others sat.

Kagome closed her eyes, wishing beyond compare that she was not seated next to Sesshoumaru, when…

"Sesshoumaru Taisho," Mr. Evens said, tapping the desk, "Kirara Nemo." He moved to the next set of desks, "Kagome Higurashi, Ayame Takashi."

Kagome sighed, moving toward the desk. She felt Sesshoumaru glaring at her, and glared back. However, someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned to the redhead from her first class.  _Ayame? Yeah, that was her name_ , Kagome thought, smiling toward the redheaded ookami.

"Hi, I'm Ayame," she said, "You must be Kagome. Well, duh, of course you are, but I've heard your name so many times. I don't know what it is about this school, but they seemed to like your mother a lot, and there's great praise going around about you."

Kagome blinked in surprised, "Really?"

"Yeah, didn't you know?" Ayame asked.

She shook her head, when a snap was heard from the front of the class. Mr. Evens was staring at her and Ayame, before he turned away. Obviously he didn't want them talking.

He also had something to say, "Miss Higurashi, I had expected you to be more like your mother. I might be ningen, but I have heard great things about what she did to help this school. I've also heard that she was one of the best students here. Yet her daughter has seemed to gotten a bad trait, for I would have expected you to stay quiet until after my class is over. Should I hear you talking to Miss Takashi again this period, I will make sure you have homework for tonight."

God, that was harsh. Kagome knew that people were staring at her, obviously wondering what her mother had done for the school. Hell, she didn't know! She hadn't even known the school existed until her mother read that stupid letter. If only it hadn't came! If only she were still at home, going to her normal school, instead of this freaky one that continued to pressed its spiritual energy against her.

"Gomen," she whispered.

"What was that, Miss Higurashi? I am not youkai, like your pervious teacher, so you will have to speak up. Unless you want detention for back talking," the teacher growled.

"I said, 'gomen', sir," she said.

"Hai, well, you should be," he said. He finally scrapped a line underneath what he'd written, before turning back to the class. "Read this, and learn it. These are my rules, and should you not comply, you will either receive detention, or given a janitor like assignment."

Kagome continued to stare at the desk, not wishing to get into any more trouble. However, when he said that, she did glance up and begin reading what he'd written. His rules were pretty clear: no gum, no candy, no drinks, no food; no talking during tests, if you must then ask for  **him** for a pencil; have something extra to work on if you'd finished an assignment; oh, and always be prepared. Yeah, she could do that.

Sighing gently, she stared at Kirara back for a moment, before turning her head toward the window. She was actually kind of glad to see she'd gotten a window seat, since she hadn't been able to look out of one yet. Down below she could see a beautiful garden, though she didn't look for long, since she could feel Mr. Evens aura approach as she turned her face back toward the board, her face trying to seem emotionless.

"Miss Higurashi," he said, his tone more gentle then before, "do you understand the rules, or have you even read them?"

"Hai, sir, I have," she replied.

"And?" he asked.

"I will do all I can to comply to them, sir," she said.

He nodded, satisfied. However, he leaned down, and said, "Next time, look out the window after I've made sure you have done the assignment. I have heard that you are fond of nature, just as your mother, and every other miko is, but I must know you are done first. I too enjoy nature."

"Hai, sir," she said.

"Good," he said. He turned to Ayame, "I expect you to be good while sitting next to this student. From what I've read, she is a much better student then you. Should your grades drop, you will be assigned a tutor, Miss Takashi."

Ayame blushed, and nodded. She never was good at math, since she'd mainly never paid attention to the teacher. However, she glanced over at her table partner, to see her staring over at the inuyoukai in front of their desk. Her eyes widened when she finally felt his male aura pressed over their table, however, it wasn't pressing against her, just the girl. Kagome's eyebrow was twitching, before she reached into her bag.

Quickly, Kagome wrote down the words: ' _stop that_ ' on a piece of paper. She flicked it over to Sesshoumaru, knowing that Ayame was staring at her. The ookami probably thought she had wrote something sexual, since she didn't understand why Sesshoumaru's aura was only pressing against hers.

The paper returned to her desk, the words: ' _stop what?_ ' written underneath her own. The handwriting was very elegant, and neat, though she could really care less. She just wanted him to stop trying to see if she were a threat to him. She could tell now that he was trying to make sure she didn't use her powers on him, but she didn't want to anyway. So, she began to write again.

Sesshoumaru smirked, looking over at the neko sitting next to him. She was doing the smartest thing that any of them could. She was currently writing down the rules given, though she should be able to remember them easily. However, he didn't pay much attention, as the note returned to his desk. He opened it gently, trying not to tear it, and read: ' _you know fully well, 'what', youkai!_ '

Rolling his eyes, he wrote: ' _care to indulge me, miko?_ ' When the ningen teacher moved to turn away, he turned a bit in his seat and flicked it onto her desk. She grabbed it and began writing. By the way her pencil looked ready to break, she was angry. Hell, by her aura he could tell she was angry.

Once more the note returned when the ningen teacher was turned away. However, Sesshoumaru tucked it under his hand when Mr. Evens came by his desk. He then turned his head, before opening it. There, written in very good print, was: ' _your aura_ '

Smirking, he replied: ' _and?_ ' She would either reply, or not. However, if she didn't give him the answer he wanted, he would send it back to her with the same answer. So, before the teacher could notice he flicked it over to her, and listened to the paper being unfolded.

Kagome glared before decided it was best to use the answer he wanted. So, she easily wrote: ' _onegai, stop pressing it against mine. I'm not going to try and attack you, since there are many youkai in this room. I'd kill them all, youkai!_ ' Maybe that would please him.

She tossed it back; happy she hadn't been caught yet, she folded her hands in front of her chin. She watched as Sesshoumaru's pen moved over the paper, before he was about to toss it back. However, Mr. Evens was standing in front of his desk.

"Mr. Taisho," Mr. Evens greeted, his voice cheerfully fake. "What is it you have there? A note, perhaps?"

"Hai, sir," Sesshoumaru said, knowing that to lie to this teacher would be a very bad thing. Well,  _it_  wouldn't be that bad, but the punishment probably would. Besides, he'd rather not get into trouble on the first day. So, he watched as the teacher took it from him, and began moving toward the front of the class to sit on his desk.

"Hm… well, lets share it with the rest of the class. What do you think, Mr. Taisho? Sound good to you?" Mr. Evens said, his eyes twinkling.

Sesshoumaru shrugged.

"'Stop that'," he began.

"'Stop what?'

"'You know fully well, 'what', youkai'

"'Care to indulge me, miko?'

"'Your aura'

"'And?'

"'Onegai, stop pressing it against mine. I'm not going to try and attack you, since there are many youkai in this room. I'd kill them all, youkai!'

"'Why should I?" Mr. Evens set it on his desk. "Mr. Taisho, you were passing notes with…?"

"Higurashi," he replied, his tone even.

"Then, I suggest you leave Miss Higurashi's aura alone. Though I cannot see them, I can obviously tell from this that you are bothering her. If I hear you are doing it again, then I will have a worse punishment then I do now," he said.

Sesshoumaru, though only in thought, narrowed his eyes, "Punishment?"

"Hai, Mr. Taisho, didn't you read my final rule. Oh, you were too busy writing with Miss Higurashi, who I wouldn't be surprised if you liked, since most boys your age have raging hormones, to notice the rule I just added. ' **NOTE PASSING WILL RESULT IN DETENTION** '," he smirked.

Sesshoumaru nodded, not quite liking this class anymore. He had liked math, since it was one of his best subjects, but he did not like this Mr. Evens. He'd already had detention, over a simple note, which ended up with Kagome winning.

"You and Miss Higurashi are to meet me in this classroom at eight o'clock sharp. Instead of leaving Miss Higurashi in the corridor, which I noticed you did earlier, I suggest you make sure  _both_ of you are here on time," Mr. Evens said.

Kagome nodded, when she heard her name. She saw Sesshoumaru nod, though he was very stiff. Apparently neither of them wanted detention, nor did they want to spend more time together then they had too. The only good thing, his aura had finally been repressed back toward himself.

 _Kami, my day just keeps getting better and better,_ Kagome thought, the words being hissed into her head. It was like someone, somewhere was trying to ruin her day.

"Now, I expect all of you to bring your books tomorrow," Mr. Evens said, "Oh, and I image that Ms. Kumo forgot to tell you that before lunch, which is thirty minutes before your Art class, you will all go outside and run. You don't have to run, but it's to get some energy pumped out of you. However, with Professor Katana's class your final period, I suggest you walk for today. Though it's the first day, she'll probably have you running while she gives you the rules."

_**RING** _

**Corridor**

_Finally,_ Inuyasha thought. He moved out of his last class, science. True, he'd gotten to sit next to that girl Kikyo, who surprisingly looked a lot like a girl who'd ran into him, but in science he wasn't as lucky. Kikyo had already been sitting next to a boy named Suikotsu, and was talking gently to him, even giggling at time. However, he got stuck next to this creepy void youkai, who'd merely stared off into space. He would never forget her name, cause that Kanna chick was freaky.

Moving down the corridor, he bobbed his head, thinking about the song he'd heard on the radio. True, they weren't allowed according to his dormitory  _person_ but hey, he had nothing to do. School was boring, and he wanted to at least have something to do. However, that smiling teacher, Mrs. Johnson, had turned to a devil when she'd ripped the device out of his hands. She'd told him he could have it back in the spring, though after it was sitting in her desk, she could keep it. It would reek of her for years after she gave it back.

Besides, he always had a spare. In fact, he was going back to his dorm to get it, when he turned a corner. He nearly collided with the girl from yesterday, who stopped. She looked up at him, huffing, before saying, "Youkai."

"Half," he replied.

"Fine, hanyou," she said.

"Dude, what's with the tone?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in curiousity.

"Your brother, who I'm assuming hates you guts, nearly killed me because of you," she hissed.

"Half-brother," he growled, his eyes flashing. His demon blood was held tight by the rosary made with chippings of his father's fangs, but he could still feel it rage at the thought of Sesshoumaru. That bastard needed a better hobby then picking on not only him, but also, girls he'd run into, on accident.

His nose caught hold of his brother's scent, and turned toward it. He saw Sesshoumaru before he could see anything else coming. However, as soon as his brother began moving down the hall, a bunch of Art students turned the corner. His brother had closer, before growling at him, gripping the girl's arm.

"Do not talk to such filth," Sesshoumaru growled.

Kagome was confused, and she turned on him. "Oh, now you care about what I do! Five minutes ago you were completely ignoring me. Well, that's not entirely true, you were snarling at me, but that was about it. Now, Sesshoumaru, why is it you say I cannot talk to this hanyou?"

"Because he is a hanyou. A powerful miko, though I hate to admit even that, should not talk to such an inferior low life," he snarled.

Kagome's anger began to rise. She couldn't help it, but she hissed, "Stop… pressing… your… aura… against… mine… youkai!" Her finger pushed against his chest, and she allowed her holy energy to burn through the cloth until it touched his flesh gently.

Sesshoumaru knew of her anger before she turned on him. Her scent went from that sweet, yet tangy smell of lilies, and fruit, to a spicy smell. It seemed to mix with tons of different spices yet they were all pleasing to the nose. However, he wasn't pleased when she pressed her ningen finger against him, which hurt like hell. Her holy energy zapped through his system, sending his body into a fighting mode. However, he merely gripped her arm harder, and snarled.

"Let go, youkai Sesshoumaru, or I will purify you," she hissed.

"Do not try to harm me again, miko," he growled. "I merely wished to stop you from becoming friends with this cheating, no good, pouting hanyou, who would more in likely try to take the innocence I smell on you. Very well, do as you wish miko, but do not say this Sesshoumaru did not try to warn you!"

He ripped his hand away from her, watching as blood dripped down gently. The smell of it hit his nose, but he merely opened his bag. Quickly, he grabbed the items that did not belong to him, and shoved them into Inuyasha's chest, saying, "Father told me to give these two you, hanyou, so use them instead of throwing them like this Sesshoumaru tried to tell him you probably would."

Sesshoumaru stalked away, his stand ridged as he continued toward the science classroom. He heard the Inuyasha say, "Geez, what'd you do to him, wench? Now he'd gonna be all over me next time we see each other. Do you know how hard it is to get his fat ass off you? Of course not, you're just a little ningen girl who would probably be squished if he toppled on top of you! Hell, you'd probably be flattened if he fuckin' tried to fuck you, which knowing him he wouldn't have the fuckin' balls to do."

Kagome replied, "I'm warning you, hanyou. He has been on my case since the bus ride yesterday. If you do not leave me be  **right now** I'm going to move you!"

He heard Inuyasha snarl, "I'd like to see you try, wench."

"Fine," Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru managed to smirk in his angered mood when he heard the sound of a body hitting a wall. The crashing of glass, and metal was next, before he turned to see Kagome walking toward him. She was walking briskly, and though he did not like her, he did want to know what she'd done to his little half-brother.

She seemed to know this, "He would not move." She was standing beside him when he began walking with her. "He would not move, so I moved him," she repeated.

"How?" he asked.

"I thought we weren't talking," Kagome said, using mocking innocence, "baby."

"Do not do that, miko. It is degrading," he said.

"Well, I'm amazed, we agree on something," she replied.

"Now, answer my question," he said.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Do I get a 'please'?"

"You might," he smirked.

"I used a barrier. I surrounded the entire corridor, except for a small space for him to be able to move to my right side. However, when I began walking, he hit it full force, thinking I was 'a weak ningen girl' and was slammed against the wall. Then my barrier pressed against him, causing him to create a bigger dent then his big head already had," she said. "Happy now?"

"Hai," he replied.

They turned silent. Neither wished to talk unless they must. However, they knew deep down that whenever they wished to know something about their enemies, since they were going to find some throughout the entire school, that the best place to best would be eachother. Thought they might hate eachother, there was a good chance that the other might be able to get information on the person they wanted it from. However, they wouldn't accept this fact.

**Third Period**

"Sit down, sit down. Oh," the teacher looked up toward the door, "Well, you've made it, though you are almost late. Though on the first day that really doesn't matter, I suppose. Now, sit wherever you'd like, though… I would like you to sit next to someone you won't talk with."

Kagome moved straight toward Kirara. The girl was smiling toward her, and she smiled back. True, her mood wasn't the best, but she was still in the mood to make friends. Kind of like when she'd been in the mood to make friends with Sesshoumaru.  _Boy, what a bad idea that was, Kagome you baka,_ she screamed to herself.

Sesshoumaru moved through the classroom, scanning the faces of people. He noticed how Jakotsu had patted the seat next to him, probably so he could try and flirt. Well, to bad for the gay guy, he wasn't into men. He might not have had many women, not wanting to get a sexual disease, but he liked them more then he wanted men. So, he continued forward until he found himself seated next to Joe Hoffman, who was sitting on the outside. However, he was still very close to Kagome. She was sitting a row up, and on the opposite side of the wall way on the outside. If only she was closer, he could once more annoy her with his presence.

That was always fun.

"Lets see; I'm your science teacher, Mrs. Johnson. I like to be a more of a hand's on type of teacher, so you'll find yourselves doing a lot of labs, more then working in those nasty textbooks. I find that allowing a student to do something first hand helps them learn better. So, there are rules, but not many, since if I enforced most of them, this wouldn't be a good environment for working with test tubes, chemicals, and many other things," she said, smiling the entire time.

"My first rule is simple enough. You have to at least try to get along with everyone in this room. Though you may not like all of them, I want you to feel welcome into this classroom. Should you do something to make someone uncomfortable then I'll send you straight to Professor Ivy, who won't take to kindly of me wasting her time," she said.

"My second rule: you may not have anything that might disturb the working area. This includes, cell phone's, cd players, GameBoy's. Anything that you were not supposed to bring into the school, but something I know you did. I've already had to take a radio from Inuyasha Taisho," she rolled her eyes.

Sesshoumaru nearly grinned, but he stopped himself. Maybe this teacher wouldn't be as bad as the last one. Her rules weren't really that tough, since he could play nice to even Kagome if he had to. Besides, he'd rather do something then read from a book. Besides, the books were boring, or  _nasty_ as Mrs. Johnson had said. He continued to listen as she listed her other rules, which weren't really that many. She only had around four all together; all the things she listed were minor, and could be easily done.

Besides, unlike Inuyasha, he hadn't brought any of his electronic things. Unlike that stupid dork he'd listened to the rules, and decided for once to follow them. Well, that was after his father finally decided to give him the list of rules they had to follow. He wasn't even sure if Inuyasha had seen it.

Kagome leaned back, listening as the teacher continued to talk. She was very friendly, or at least she sounded like it. She could tell by the gentle, yet firm aura the ningen teacher had proved that she could be very kind, but very strict when she needed to be. However, her gentle hue seemed to spread through the room, giving, and sharing her gentle kindness with those who'd wished it.

"Now, enough from me. You still have a while before class ends, so you may talk with the person next to you. However, I don't want you up and moving. You will sit there until the bell rings," Mrs. Johnson said.

"Hi, I'm Kagome," Kagome said, turning to the neko youkai. She saw her jump, her red eyes coming to focus on her. Kirara nodded, and Kagome frowned. "Come on, Kirara. Lets not get off on the wrong foot! I just want to be friends," Kagome said.

Kirara nodded again.

Frowning further, Kagome asked, "What's the matter, Kirara?"

"I… don't like to speak very much, gomen," Kirara said, very words coming out so fast they sounded jumbled together. She turned back to her notepad, writing down something.

Kagome leaned forward a little, saying, "Are you writing down the rules or something?"

Kirara shook her head.

"A story?" Kagome asked her voice excited.

Kirara looked at her for a moment, before turning away. She continued to write, not wanting the thoughts to go away, yet at the same time wishing they would stop coming. She could never stop herself from writing down what they were though.

"Alright," Kagome sighed, nearly to herself, "I won't bother you."

Kirara pushed the notepad toward her, showing her the many pages she'd filled up, suddenly. She nudged Kagome to read it, as she smiled. Softly, Kirara said, "It's a part of a story I'm writing. The rest is in the dormitory, but I'm always coming up with new things to write about, so I bring a notepad around. English, and Art are my favorite subjects. I like to write a story and then draw or paint the pictures to it."

"That's so cool, Kirara," Kagome said.

"If you'd like, you can read it sometime," Kirara said, looking down toward the desk.

Kagome smiled, "You'd allow me to?"

"Oh, hai! You're a very nice person, Kagome-chan," she said, "I have been writing this story since the first time I saw you on the bus. You inspired me with your kindness, and spiritual powers. I've added a little bit of the inuyoukai over there," she pointed to Sesshoumaru, "but he's not mean like he really is. Instead, I made him loving, and caring."

"What happens in the story, Kirara?" Kagome asked. She'd never thought someone would write a story about her, but if that was what Kirara wanted to do, then she'd be happy with it. She'd be in a book, and though Sesshoumaru would too, he'd be nice. She could handle that, though she had to try and handle the real him everyday.

"I'll bring it tomorrow, and you can read it when you find time," Kirara said.

"Arigatou, Kirara-chan," Kagome smiled.

Kirara smiled herself, before gently taking the notepad. "I was going to add more to the story tonight, since I usually don't sleep very often. Youkai don't need much sleep."

"I'd be happy to read it, Kirara-chan," Kagome said.

The neko smiled a little, before turning her head back to the desk. She tapped it gently with her claws, waiting for the bell to ring. She knew that Kagome was staring at her for a little while, before she turned her face away.

Kagome smiled, the day was starting to get a little better. She felt much better then she had this since she'd met Sesshoumaru's brother. She had yet to actually get his name, but she knew he was hanyou, and what he looked like. If he continued to try and yell at her every damn time they met, then he was going to see a side of her only Sesshoumaru could produce. He was his  _half-_ brother, so since Sesshoumaru merely walked away, he could get dealt the damage she wished to inflict upon the elder youkai. Perhaps Sesshoumaru would show some type of respect for her, since he obviously didn't want anyone to make friends with the stupid hanyou. She did have to admit, though, Sesshoumaru had a point: his brother was filth that needed to be cleaned off the world with the language he used. Really, there were other cuss words then 'fuck'.

When the bell rung, however, was when she met one of her soon to be enemies.

**Corridor**

Kagome followed Kirara outside, knowing that Sesshoumaru had decided to take a position behind her. His aura was once more trying to press against her own, though she knew it was hard to do with so many people in the corridor. However, when she giggled at the whispered joke Kirara made, someone ran straight into her. She was knocked backwards, straight into Sesshoumaru, who caught her.

"Watch where you're going, bitch," came a sneer. "God, you take up like most of the hall!"

"Well," Kagome snapped, her mood ruined, "You shouldn't be trying to shove your way through." Kagome pushed herself away from Sesshoumaru and came face-to-face with a wind youkai.

She was wearing completely red, everything in red! She even had her fans, which she probably used to control wind, painted red. She stared straight into the youkai female's red eyes, never once trying to look at what she looked like. However, the lifting of her lip caught Kagome's attention, as she snapped, "Move ningen bitch, or be moved."

Sesshoumaru lifted an eyebrow. What had gotten into them? They didn't even know each other by the looks of things, and already they were in a fight.  _I will never understand the mind of a woman,_ he thought. In fact, he didn't even understand his own mind at the moment, because he should have just let Kagome fall to the floor at his feet. Instead, being a gentleman, he caught her, only to have her merely push away, instead of saying her thanks.

"What gives you the right to push others around?" Kagome asked, her own vocal cords vibrating into an animal like snarl. Hey, she was pretty good at mimicking noises; though it was just a weird talent she had, it came in handy when dealing with bitchy youkai.

"My uncle is a teacher here," the other snarled.

"Really?" Kagome asked, "So, I'll ask you again. No, actually, I won't because to do so would probably cause your small brain to go into meltdown."

"I just told you, ningen bitch," she hissed, "or do you need your hearing checked?"

Kagome didn't take it, "What is your name?"

"Kagura," Kagura said, lifting her nose as if she were superior.

Sesshoumaru tried to fight back the smirk he felt. True, he knew that any youkai could kill a ningen, but youkai feared mikos. This wind demoness should be able to tell that the woman she was yelling at could easily purify her. Yet she had yet to notice, and he sure as hell wasn't going to be in the way when Kagome decided she'd had enough for one day. Who knew, maybe it would get her out of the school faster.

"Well, I am Kagome," Kagome snarled. "Move demon bitch, or be moved," she smirked.

"Why you little-" Kagura was blasted backward. The wind was knocked from her lungs when she felt her back come in contact with a doorway. She stared off, dazed as the miko walked closer to her.

Kagome shouted over her shoulder before turning the corner, "Next time,  _Kagura,_ I will not be so nice. Either you move, or I will move you. Your uncle may be a teacher, but my mother went to this school years ago. Violence may not be allowed, but I'm pretty defense is, and my miko abilities are mainly defense."

She cast a glance at the youkai walking with her, and snapped, "What the hell do you want, youkai?"

"Do you have to constantly remind me of my species, miko?" he replied.

"Well, do you have to constantly try and remind me of my rank and abilities? If you do, then hai, I  **do** have to, youkai scum," she spat. She was truly beginning to hate him, and almost every youkai that crossed her path today. He was changing her mind about being nice to everyone.

Sesshoumaru blinked for a moment, before turning his cold eyes toward her. "Miko, I suggest you never say 'youkai scum' again."

"Oh, and whys that?" Kagome snapped. "I'm sick of you, Sesshoumaru! Leave me alone, and I might do the same. Cross me, and I will purify you, one way or the other."

"What about making  _friends?_ " he sneered.

"That was a mistake on my part. However, you are making a bigger mistake by continuing to hold this conversation. Goodbye," she said. She began jogging down the corridor, though she knew fully that he could easily get ahead of her. She didn't know where Kirara had ran off to, and right now she wanted to know. Her opinion on youkai wouldn't have went down so much if the girl had just stayed with her, instead of running like a coward.

Sesshoumaru continued to walk, wondering what had happened. First she was all nice and happy, then she was all bitchy. How the female worked was beyond his male mind, because he couldn't figure out what had set her off. However, he could tell from her nature itself that whatever it was would soon be righted. She would go back to her normal cheery self once whatever happened was righted.

**Fourth Period**

"Gomen ne domo," came a small voice from the doorway. Kirara was standing there, the notepad in her hand, as the teacher continued to list his rules for their English class. However, he turned toward her, his youkai eyes narrowing at the sight.

"Where have you been? I do not allow tardiness," he asked.

"Gomen, sir," Kirara said, "I forgot something in the science classroom."

"Just take a seat, I don't care for your excuses," he replied. He stopped writing for a moment to glance back at the small neko taking a seat, "You should have gotten here faster. You are youkai, after all, and should be able to run a lot faster then a ningen can." Afterward he continued to write on the board, causing some of the youkai to begin scratching into their tables at the sound. Either the guy didn't have ears, or couldn't hear it. The way he was pushing on the piece of chalk was creating a very annoying, screeching sound. It was like nails, just not as bad.

Kagome tapped her pencil against the desk. She was still angry, but hearing what Kirara said, she knew she shouldn't be. The girl had probably forgotten her notepad, and that thing was something very valuable to the girl. She couldn't really understand it, since it was just a notepad she wrote notes down in, but she should have been more worried about her safety. Unless the girl knew she could take care of herself. Still, it would have been nice if she'd said something about leaving. Then she wouldn't have gotten made in the first place.

"Miss Higurashi," the teacher snapped.

"Hai, Mr. Saru?" she asked, startled.

"Stop tapping your pencil. It's driving me insane," he said.

"Hai, sir," she replied.

Sesshoumaru's eyes stared forward, never once trying to break the place he'd chosen. It was like having a staring contest with yourself in the mirror, except the object would never blink back. At least your reflection would follow suit, but the object of your choosing would  **never** blink, which made you not want to blink, which was hard to do after so long. Even for a youkai, who could go for about ten minutes without closing their eyes. However, like a ningen's eye, theirs needed moisture as well, so it was best to merely do it on impulse.

His eyes scanned the room, taking in Kagome's slightly slumped form. He didn't linger there long, for after what she'd said, he could give a shit. True, he didn't like the miko in the first place, but she'd went off his scale of strange. She was nice one minute, rude the next, yelling afterward, before suddenly calm and nice again. It was like she was a wheel of emotion. He could just hear it now, ' _Step right up, and spin the 'Wheel of Emotion'. Come, come now! See what emotion you can make Kagome have right now; or… perhaps you can make her go through two at once. Anything's possible inside her head!_ '

Kami, he hated carnivals. Sure, they were 'fun' and all, but after a while they just gave him a headache. When he was a small youkai, it might not have bothered him, but now with all the lights, and sounds, it really got to his system. He couldn't handle it.

"Now, I am Yuki Saru, your English teacher. Most of you are wondering why I teacher English instead of some type of Japanese thing. However, this is because we feel that it is best for you to know more then one language. So, I'm going to teach you English this year, and your language teacher next year will have another language. Whatever it is, I don't care, since at this point and time, you are to learn proper English, so that when you possibly go to America, where they've messed they mess the language up until you can't understand it, you might understand them," he roared over the noise that was beginning to build in the room.

"Shut up, all of you," he snapped.

The noise was gone, all most instantly. A few were still talking, but other then that the noise had gone down for the better. However, everything quieted when he turned on them, growling, "I said  **shut up** , you bunch of bakas'."

Sesshoumaru managed to keep his face passive, as the teacher began moving around, probably trying to remember every face and where they sat. He really didn't care, though. His mind was still on the whole carnival thing.  _Kami, why didn't I just forget her name, and been done with it,_ he thought? Now, he would probably never forget her name, since she sat next to him for almost the entire day so far.

His mornings were going to suck. He was more of a morning person, since he liked the idea,  _early to bed, early to rise_. His father had always tried to get them to wake up with the sun, like he'd had to when he was but a pup. However, in these changing times, it was harder to do then not. Still, he might as well change his whole routine now; since it was clear Kagome was going to make it one living nightmare. True, he'd probably still get up with the sun itself, but afterward, everything would suck. He didn't even like to use the word, 'suck', so that was saying something.

Gods, he was beginning to hate her more and more. Not that that seemed like a bag thing, he didn't want to fall in love or something like that with her, but hell. You should only be able to hate a person so much, yet she was continuing to drop lower and lower. Hell! She was nearly at the level of hate he had with Inuyasha, and no one was ever supposed to be that low. However, the miko would never actually get there, since he couldn't put her that low. Her power denied it from him.

"Good, good," the teacher mumbled, the twitching of his eye making fear fill the room. The guy had to be crazy, or maybe it was just an act he did for the younger students, but he was nuts. Somewhere, everyone knew that this guy was loony in the head, and needed a mental hospital. However, no one dared say it in fear of what he might do to them.

"Now, for tonight's homework," there were many, many groaned, "You didn't think I'd let you get away without homework, like the rest of your teachers did you? Besides," twitch, "its easy work. Now, for tonight, I want you to read the first chapter, and take notes. You will turn in these notes to signal you've read the chapter, and if I don't have them, well, then you'll be starting to fail my class already.

"For now, though, you may read and learn my rules. They are much like all the other teacher's rules, so you should," twitch, "be able to comply with them."

 _Ok, rules, no fighting; no yelling; no note passing; inside the room you must use indoor voices, or whisper; talking during tests will get you a big, fat zero; no gum/candies; late work is not excepted; no excuses; you must be in your seat by the time the bell rung… Yeah, I can do that. Lets just hope I remember them all by the end of the year,_ Kagome frowned. She wasn't sure if she could remember that many rules throughout the year, along with everyone elses. Plus, she still had Art, and training class. The day was almost gone, but she had a feeling it was going to seem like it wasn't going anywhere once they reached the final classroom. Something about the name  _Katana_ sent chills through her body. She could have sworn she'd read something about one of the last black inuyoukai's, who'd killed a pack of dragon's to avenge her clan.

Perhaps they were one and the same. The name was different, but youkai often changed their names, until they were found out. Though people were usually hostile toward new people, unless they had a kind heart, they had managed to welcome youkai with a kind hand. She wasn't even sure how it'd happened, it was like one day they weren't there, and the next they were. Amazing really.

Still, even she didn't think they had a big reason to hide. Some of them were good people, while others just wanted to get away from ningen. However, they couldn't do that and they knew it. So, since they were all stuck together, they might as well try and get along. Besides, what did youkai have to fear from humans, except possibly gaining a few human traits from living around them? That really wasn't all that bad, since humans could have grabbed as many youkai as they could, at first, and experimented on them.

It had been like someone had made a wish for youkai to live along side humans in peace. If that were the case, then she knew that person was good. Whoever wanted these creatures, who'd lived with humans for centuries without being disturbed, to stay alive, was a very good person. This was simply because youkai, with one wrong move from humans, could take control of Japan, like it was said they had during the Sengoku Jidai. Yet… they did not.

Turning her head, she caught Kirara's eye, the red blinking toward her. Kirara's kindness sent a ray of guilt through her, since she'd actually thought the girl had left her. She'd allowed her anger to control her actions, especially when she'd spoken to Sesshoumaru. True, she didn't like him, but she didn't hate him. Though… she was pretty sure he'd find some way to make her think that she truly did hate another person.

She couldn't be mean to another person. Whether it be ningen or youkai. Never.

Shaking her head a little, Kagome turned her head away again. She felt so guilty, and she even wanted to apologize to, dare she say it,  _Sesshoumaru Taisho_.  _Kami, Kagome, you need to get a grip. It wasn't your fault… it was his. He should have helped me, yet he just stood there, acting like I was his entertainment. Baka-youkai,_ she thought.

Giving her head another shake, she opened her textbook, after pulling it from her bag. Flipping through the table of contents, she found chapter one, and began. She was going to read it before anything else, since it did seem the easiest way to understand the chapter before actually writing notes.

"Ah, before I forget!" Yuki said, his eye twitching again, "I have I certain way I like a student to do their notes. Just a format, of course, but you will all be required to follow it. Should you decide not to, then I guess you have a better chance of failing my class early."

Sighing, Kagome smiled to herself. She watched as the teacher began writing how he wanted his notes. Once done, he set the chalk to the side, and nodded toward them. Kagome, being as smart as she was, copied down the format just before the bell rang.

"Don't forget, you go out and run now!" Mr. Saru yelled. Once they were gone, he turned to the window, his eyebrow twitching again. He could see the older students already flooding outside, and knew that the younger would not be far behind them. However, what concerned him was the smell of holy energy he'd felt when Higurashi entered the room. It was obvious another student had done something to provoke Higurashi into using her gifts.

Still, it made his skin crawl. When he felt the energy touch him, he wanted to lash out at the poor girl. He'd restrained himself, knowing that he'd probably get a beating from the others if he attacked a student. The amount of power he'd felt pushed against his own demonic one, though, was nearly enough to make him go berserk, wanting nothing more then to give into a bloodlust. The miko would have protected herself, and they would probably die together.

He'd have to tell Professor Ivy, and Professor Katana to keep an eye on that one. She was strong, much more then her mother had ever been. The other miko paled in comparison, and if Professor Ivy decided to put the miko with a youkai student during the spring, she'd better pick a strong one. Other wise, unless Professor Ivy used the vial to make a youkai crave for the woman, while the woman went into a blissful heat, where she couldn't find anything to stop the heat rushing through her. However, the male could. Unless Professor Ivy decided to use that method, the miko was going to be hard to place.

Turning his eyes away, Yuki ran his hand through his hair. Never had he felt such power. Never had he thought he'd feel a person whose spiritual powers rivaled, or surpassed the legend of the school. The fonder herself: The Priestess Midoriko. She'd paid for the school to be built; though she'd never know the school would be used for such purposes. She'd merely wanted a place to train children to not only respect their ancestors, but to also be trained to deal with youkai, and rouge miko. However, the place became a breeding system between them, and to have such a powerful miko inside the school.

 _Ivy'd better hope she has a powerful youkai. She's in deeper then she's probably ever been,_ he smirked.

**Lunch**

Kagome continuing to breathe deeply; they'd just came inside, and her legs were finally beginning to hurt. Her breathing was still normal, but she could tell that at any moment she'd begin panting. She wasn't about to, since Kirara was at her side. The small girl was writing in her notepad again, looking up at her from time to time. Obviously she'd gotten another idea.

Not like she was going to stop her, though. If Kirara's passion was to write stories, then she'd allow the neko to use her name. Hell, she'd like to just have her name printed in a book, just  **once**. Kirara; Kirara had made her the heroine in her story, which would constantly be mentioning her, which meant her name would be everywhere. Possibly every page! Well, if it ever got published.

She was sure it would be, though. Kirara's father worked at a publishing company, and was continuously giving his daughter advice. Well, before Kirara was chosen to come to Breeding School High.

 _God, I still don't know why they decided to name it that! I want to know!_ Kagome screamed, her head beginning to ache from the sound. Since it was created inside her head, though, there was nothing she could do about it. She'd have to live with the pain.

"Is something wrong, Kagome?" Kirara asked.

"Iie, course not," Kagome replied. She grinned, but tensed when she felt something slam against her back. Arms encircled her, as she heard Kirara give off a warning hiss.

"Kagome!"

"Sango?" Kagome blinked in surprise.

"Come on, Kag… Hey, who's this?" Sango asked, pointing to Kirara.

"Oh, Sango, Kirara," she pointed to Kirara, "Kirara, Sango," she pointed back to Sango. "There, now what do you want, Sango?"

"I wanted to know if you'd like to have lunch with me on this day, duh," Sango grinned.

"Sango, you… ok?" Kagome asked, her voice lower.

Sango frowned in thought, before nodding. "Yeah, course I'm fine. Why'd you ask?"

"You just said 'on this day', Sango," Kagome said.

"It was kind of strange," Kirara, said, "I've never heard someone say that."

"Oh, did I? I must not have noticed. Gomen, blood must be rushing to my head a little too fast," Sango said. She looked like she'd ran a mile, but her eyes were lit up with a fire that wouldn't be quenched. Sweat dripped down her forehead, making a shiny trail of salty water.

"Sango, have you been running this whole time?" Kagome asked. She blinked again, wondering what was going on. That was when she noticed that Sango was jogging in place.

"Yeah, I got in shape!" Sango yelled.

Frowning, Kagome replied, "You look fine to me, Sango."

"Me too," Kirara commented.

Sango stopped, looking down toward the ground. She nodded then, before saying, "I know… but Miroku. He's been staring at this skinny girls ass all day, and he hasn't looked at me once. I think… I think he's no longer interested in me. I just thought that if I was as skinny as the chick he's been staring at, then…"

"Sango… Rome wasn't made in a day," Kagome grinned.

"What does that mean?" Sango asked, her mind obviously off.

Kirara piped up, "It means that you can't fix this Miroku guy within a day. You have to keep trying, or he's going to get worse. Or… she could mean that you won't be able to become like that skinny girl within a day. Either way, you get the point!"

"Come on, Sango, you can sit with us," Kagome said.

Sango nodded, before walking after them. She was panting heavily, until she saw Miroku start walking toward them. Her breath became lighter, and she stepped up toward him.

"Sango," Miroku greeted.

"Miroku!" she said, clinging herself to him.

"Sango, my love, not in front of our friend—s?" Miroku frowned, before smiling, "Konnichiwa, who are you?"

"Miroku, this is Kirara," Sango said, "She's a friend of Kagome's. Don't you dare you lech," she grabbed him by the ear when he tried to move forward.

"Sango, my love, I merely wanted to ask the girl a simple question." Miroku continued to whine, before he finally slumped, allowing his body to go toward the ground.

"Yeah, right," Sango said, "like I'd ever believe that."

Kagome grinned when Miroku took the chance to move. He gave off a funny noise, obviously produced from Sango tugging at the piercing in his ear. He stopped, but didn't give up, for once Sango let him go, he was knelt before Kirara, giving off his most famous line. She'd never tire from hearing it, since Sango fumed when he did, and the simple fact that he was no longer doing to her. As long as he kept that line far away from her – since the first time he'd done it – then she was ok.

"Fair maiden, will you do me the honor of baring my children?" he asked, his eye twinkling in amusement. He knew it made Sango protective, but he liked her that way.

Sango growled, as Kirara jumped. However, she noticed that the girl had gone completely red, but not in embarrassment. The youkai female was gazing down at the lecher with an evil look, her soft face becoming a glance toward pain, and possibly death.

"Let me go this instant," Kirara snarled. She'd stuffed her notepad into her pocket, and gripped his wrist. When he cried out, she let him go, and huffed, pulling her notepad out. She tapped the pencil against her chin for a moment, before nodding. Quickly, she wrote down a reminder to have Kagome meet up with a lecherous monk, who was beaten by the taiyoukai by her side. Then by the demon slayer that he was to marry.

Maybe the man in her book would have a little more sense then the one before her.

Kagome laughed, before grabbing both Sango and Kirara by their shirts. Pulling them behind her, she told them that they needed to eat.

So, lunch began, with many people yelling; some youkai snarling; the older students flirting with their partners, and the younger just confused; but everyone felt the sudden chill that ran through the room. Kagura stepped inside, a small void demoness standing beside her. Her eyes scanned the lunchroom, trying to find the person she wanted. However, when she did not, the room seemed to get colder, before an aura made everything warm once more.

Without realizing it, an unknown aura warmed the room, floating over them gently. It stayed until they were ready to leave, before disappearing back into the walls.

**Second Run**

"Not do fast, Sango!" Kagome called. "Kirara! Not you too! Guys, I'm not as well built as you! Come on, guys!" She continued to try and catch up to her friends, but they began drifting further away. They rounded the bend, not even realizing they'd left her behind. With a sigh Kagome began to slow, before she began walking.

They'd run six laps already, how could they keep going? OK, Kirara she could understand; the girl was youkai, she could run for miles. Sango… how did she do it? She continued to run, and run, and run even after all the running she'd done earlier.  _Someday… I swear to learn their secret… and when I do, I'll crush them all. Muhaha,_ Kagome laughed to herself, pretending for a moment that she was the evilest person around.

"Friends left you behind, miko?" came the cold voice that sent chills through her spine. Not pleasurable chills, either.

"Hai, if you really must know, Sesshoumaru," she mumbled.

He was probably staring at her funny, for he asked, "You change emotions very quickly, miko."

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"You were angry earlier, saying that you'd made a mistake… though, you sounded as if you'd never made a mistake before. Now, you are acting as if nothing happened in the corridor near the science classroom," Sesshoumaru replied.

Kagome was silent for a moment, before sighing, "Gomen…"

"What are you saying 'gomen' for, miko?" he asked.

"I was angry. I-I did not realize what I had said at the time. Gomen ne domo if I offended you, Sesshoumaru," she muttered.

"This Sesshoumaru now sees that you have manners, miko," Sesshoumaru replied, "It amazes me."

"Oh, urusai!" she growled.

"I am not being loud, nor will I be quiet, Kagome," he snarled. "Do not think you can order this Sesshoumaru."

"I'm not trying to, Sesshoumaru," she said. "Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be trying to find someone to run with besides me?"

"This Sesshoumaru has already traveled around this garden around thirty times," he smirked. "I would continue, but at this moment this Sesshoumaru is trying to blend."

"Why would you want to blend in with everyone else?" Kagome was confused.

"Them," he pointed.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome turned, walking backwards and began following his hand. She caught sight of Kagura, and glared at the woman. Kagura obviously didn't feel her glare, for she continued to look forward, never once trying to look toward her. "Now that I can understand.

"One question," she smiled.

Sighing, Sesshoumaru asked, "What would that be, miko?"

"Why are you trying to hide from her? I mean… you're taller then most people, and your hair is like starlight… so, you're kind of easy to find. Wouldn't running be easier?" she asked.

"Did you just say my hair is like starlight?" he smirked, amused. Sure, his hair was a silver color, but no one had ever said it looked like starlight.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Hai… but that's not the point! I want to know why you're not running, when it'd be a lot easier to hide from her that way?"

"Have you seen a youkai run at demonic speed?" he asked.

"Iie… I don't think I have. Why?" she asked. She glanced back at him to find he was now, pretty much, next to her. Not that it bothered her, but she really didn't like him so close. His aura was pressing on hers again.

"Do you know what happens when they do?" he asked.

"I thought we were on the last question," she smirked.

"Miko, answer the question," he growled.

"Fine," she sighed a little, "Ano…"

"I'll take that as an 'iie'," he said. "Very well, miko. When a youkai runs at demonic speed, like I was doing earlier, their aura expands, and grows. This is because instincts take over, and they want to transform. However, through training, and control I did not. Kagura could and was finding me easily because my aura was spreading larger then this Sesshoumaru should have allowed it."

"So… she was detecting you in a sort of… odd way?"

"Basically," Sesshoumaru replied.

"But… she can still find you. Shouldn't you be like on the other side of the garden?" she asked.

"Miko, look at her positioning," he commanded.

"I still don't see why that would help," she replied. Her eyes never once looked over toward the bitch who thought she could push around a miko.

"She is ahead of us," he said, trying to make it simple.

Grinning, Kagome said, "What if she looks back here?"

"Then I shall run the other way," he growled.

"Hai, and lets hope you don't use demonic speed," she continued to grin. Her hands found themselves in her pockets, as she marched forward. She decided to ignore the youkai behind her, even though his aura was beginning to press against her once more.

"Baka miko," he snorted.

"What was that, youkai?" she growled.

Another familiar aura began to press against her own, and she fought against it. She slammed it against its owner, before turning toward the youkai now standing a few feet from her. He was waving, but seemed to be a little dazed from what had just happened to him.

"Kouga…" she whispered.

"There's my woman!" he shouted.

A barrier was quickly placed around Kagome. However, it trapped not only herself, but a few other people as well. Sesshoumaru's aura was trapped inside, completely pressing against her, yet no one else. Kagome gave an animal like growl from the back of her throat, before slamming his aura against him, trapping it for a moment.

His eyes bled, feeling threatened as she turned toward the ookami.

"Go away," she said, containing Sesshoumaru while trying to keep the barrier up. She noticed that Kouga was merely jogging next to it, a grin on his face.

"Now, now, my precious flower, don't be that way," Kouga said, his grin never fading.

"I'm not your precious flower!" Kagome yelled. The guy was annoying! He needed to leave her  **ALONE**! Every chance he got he was near her, trying to gain her attention. He wasn't going to get it! He should just give up.  _Stupid ookami!_

Sesshoumaru pushed down the instinct to kill. His beast was growling, and ripping at the control he held. His eyes were flashing between crimson, and gold as the miko continued to try and hold down his power. She was obviously sick of him trying to annoy her, but containing a youkai's aura against their will was not the way to get them to stop. Still, he now had to fight the urge to kill the little miko, because he was supposed to get her to leave the school not her doing it to him. If she continued this way, then he was going to slice her head from her shoulders. However, her aura moved away, a slight tingling being sent over his skin… an obvious warning to stop.

"Come on, little flower," Kouga said, his smiling brightening, "Besides… I like it when they play hard to get. You're just adding to the game!"

"Go away," she shouted.

 _Kouga seems like the best idea I've had yet,_ Sesshoumaru smirked. He'd slammed his beast back into its cage, since the threat of being purified was gone. Besides, they'd probably end up killing each other, since she'd purify him right when he melted her with his Dakkasou.

"Ah… Just admit your love for me, Kagome!" Kouga said.

"I still want to know how you got my name?" she asked.

"I have my ways," he smiled. His mind was set: the beautiful miko would be in his arms by the end of the year. He'd make her see that he was the right male for her, and maybe someday he'd make her his mate.

 _I bet Sesshoumaru gave it to him,_ Kagome thought, narrowing her eyes. She expanded her barrier, making the wolf and many other youkai move away from it. The purifying power was popping around it, telling them all that they could die by touching the surface.

The wolf didn't give up, though. He continued to try until the bell signaled that they were supposed to go to their section class. However, even then he followed his little flower closely. Though he couldn't get to close, he knew that Kagome would allow him that pleasure someday. No matter how long it took, until she took a mate, or married another person he wasn't going to give up on her. She was his woman until then.

**Section Class**

**Art**

"What shall we do today? Hm?" the teacher asked, "This is after all art… and since I don't expect you to take the work back to your dorm… you won't have any homework. Lets see… we could have you draw something! Oh, or we could start with painting… that might be fun. Well, come on! Say something!"

"Mrs. Parker, shouldn't you be giving us the rules?" one of the boys asked.

"I have two rules," she replied, "One, no horsing around, and two, have fun! 'Kay, do now that that's settled, who wants to get out the paints, chalks, pastels, and whatever you'd like to use.

"I know!" Mrs. Parker cheered, "I can give you an assignment. Just to see what level you're at. Since they put you in art you must be good at it, though some of you can probably do  _something_  better then others. So… you can have the whole two hours to paint something, or draw it – I don't care – but it must be done by the end of the class. That way I can see how far along you are, and help you become better!

"Well, I might show you where all the items can be found first," there were some groans, but she could see that others were happy to do the assignment. Most of the ones who didn't would probably have a passion for art, which was exactly what she would be looking for.

With that she began showing them where they could find everything they'd need. She had plenty of supplies, so no one could say they had nothing to work with. She watched afterward as some of the students instantly moved toward the things they wanted. She noticed that two mainly were moving quite quickly, each glaring at the other a few times, as if trying to see who could finish the assignment faster.

Kagome returned to her seat once she'd gotten the pencils, and paints she'd wanted. She'd been taking art classes for years, so this would be a piece of cake. Well, there was no cake involved…  _Where the hell did that come from, Kagome,_ she asked herself? Stopping for a moment, after she brushed the pencil over the paper, she frowned.  _There you go again, Kagome, talking yourself. Ok, calm down and concentrate… Ohhh, god damn it, I'm doing it again. Just shut up! God I'm never going to get anywhere this way._ Shutting her eyes, Kagome squeezed the pencil, counting to ten before opening them and beginning to draw again.

What she wanted to paint would be difficult, but it would be worth it if it was better then everyone elses'. Who cared what Sesshoumaru drew, since he probably only had a little talent, but hers would be a masterpiece. The teacher, Mrs. Parker, would never forget it, she would make sure of that.

Within moments she began painting the meadow she wanted. She knew, just from what she'd pictured in her mind that the meadow would be covered in tinted blue snow. The full moon would be shining down upon the ground, as shadows – clouds – began forming around it like it would be blocked out just because of the person staring up at it. However, from the picture she'd formed she'd draw a woman turning away within the moon, faded, of course, making it seem like the person she was going to draw in the meadow was yearning for their presence. There'd a cliff off to the side, where she'd draw the person's opponent, who'd taken his love. Probably a kitsune - inuyoukai didn't get along with kitsune's…

 _Where the hell did that come from,_ Kagome thought? The voice that had put the information into her head didn't sound like her own. If she'd known better, she could have sworn someone else had whispered it into her ear. However, she shook the feeling off, knowing that the male she placed in the center of the meadow would  **not** be an inuyoukai. The woman would be youkai, an elemental youkai… but the male. She'd think about it when she got there.

Sesshoumaru glared at the woman standing not far away.  _Pathetic,_ he thought. Being youkai he could easily have the picture he wanted done in a matter of moments, but he wanted every detail done with care. He just couldn't rush art; well, unless he was in a hurry, but he had two hours to complete it. Besides, he'd already started designing the shrine he was drawing. Something just told him that he wanted to draw it.

He'd already drawn the male, black haired – he'd shaded it to remember – dragon. He looked as if he was swinging his sword in battle. Fire would light his eyes when he began painting it, but for now his eyes were nothing but draw gray pools of no emotion… no beauty. He looked like he was protecting the shrine, since he was already beginning to draw the lesser youkai he was going to slaughter. However, an arrow could be seen shooting across the page, straight toward his next opponent, which was why his head was cocked toward the angle, it'd come from.

He'd draw a miko, who'd be dressed in a daisaiin's (grand high priestess) outfit, consisting of black and white. She'd be holding a bow, which would probably, knowing how much he loved to add small details, have tigers, or dragons craved into the wood. Her hand would be raised, showing that it was she who'd sent the arrow flying, helping the dragon trying to defend her home. Her head would be turned a little toward the dragon youkai, a faint, but ghostly smile hidden on her lips. Off to her left would be a garden, which would indicate where she'd come from.

The shrine, which the front looked like it'd been blasted in, smoke rising into the air from every window, and crack, telling them there was a fire inside. However, the two currently allies in the painting would be more concerned on getting rid of the lesser youkai problem more then saving the shrine, which could be rebuilt over time.

He wasn't sure why he wanted to draw it, but he always went with what he wanted at the moment. For some reason he wanted to show the youkai trying to destroy something peaceful, yet failing because two bitter enemies had come together in a moments alliance. From the emotion he could paint into the lesser youkais' eyes, as they seemed to look at both their opponents, he could make it obvious why they were destroying the shrine in the first place. They hated the two hero's… well, what could be two heroes, since no one would know if they truly won from this simple painting.

Ok, so it wouldn't be simple, but something with so much raw emotion, and detail would be a challenge for any painter. Still, he was going to do it, and he was going to do it slowly so he didn't mess up anything. He wanted it to be as perfect as it could be, since hell, it could be put into a museum someday.

Still, every once in a while he glared over at Kagome, wondering what he could do to his painting to make it better then hers. Though he hated to admit it, the miko did spark his curiousity, even the first time they'd met when he decided he hated her. He knew it was probably this stupid school, since when he first walked into it he felt at ease, and like he could make friends with everyone. He was Sesshoumaru, cold-hearted bastard, born to one of the richest, most powerful men in Japan, he did not make friends.

He loathed the thought. Distancing himself seemed like such a better idea. Besides, it was what he'd done for most of his life since his mother died. It was still a sore subject, so he didn't think of it much, since even he really didn't know what killed his mother. Even to this day he thought it was merely heartache, since she'd probably known that his father, Inu Taisho, was sleeping with a mistress. He wasn't stupid at that age, it was one of the main reasons he picked on Inuyasha, he could easily smell the disgusting ningen stench coming from his father's body… mostly his pants. He couldn't bring himself to hate ningen's, though, since his mother had made him promise to treat everyone who deserved it like an… equal.

Even if he hated the idea of treating a ningen as an equal, if they could prove to him that they were good enough, then he'd comply with his mother's wishes. After all, she was his mother, and it had been the wish she'd left him in a letter, which had been placed inside her dairy.

Tossing the thoughts away, he continued to paint, blocking himself from the outside world. He didn't even notice as the – he swore he was gay – Jakostu leaned over and began to gasp. The boy waved toward others, telling them to look 'at what Sesshoumaru's drawing', before watching as the youkai continued to sketch small details; examples: the popping energy swimming around the arrow; the wrinkles in the two allies clothing; the woman's hair; the roses in the garden.

"Kagome," Kirara said, "you listening to me?" Kirara blinked as Kagome swept her hand over her brow, before placing her pencil back down on the paper, trying not to touch it with her hand and smear the light details. She watched as Kagome, even in pencil, brought emotion – sadness, love, and a bit of longing for revenge, which was hard for most people to put in just  **pencil**! – to the painting she was creating. Well, it could be in anything, but she was pretty sure Kagome was going to use paints since they were sitting next to her.

"Wow… Kagome, that's amazing," Kirara whispered, leaning closer. She glanced at her own drawing, a merely pathway in a forest, and felt a slight bit of envy for the girl's talent. Though her's did have an animal or two, and in the cave, which was at the end of the path, you could see a pair of gleaming eyes, but… Kagome's was beautiful. She put so much detail into it; made it look so real. She couldn't wait to see what it looked like once Kagome painted it!

"Huh?" Kagome said, shooting her head up suddenly.

Kirara was startled not realizing Kagome had heard her. Her chair tilted backwards, and if Kagome hadn't reached out and put her hand on the backing it probably would have tipped completely over, her head hitting the cold floor. That would be one awful headache for a youkai.

"Did you say something, Kirara?" she asked.

Kirara nodded, blushing as people stared at her. "I like your drawing, Kagome," she said, a smile on her lips.

Frowning a little, Kagome glanced back at it, "Really? I kind of went into this daze, which happens a lot. When I paint its like I go off into this little world that no one can find me in. Strange that you did, since normally I'm there until I'm finished.

"Kind of like when I start to babble and just can't stop. It doesn't happen often, but for some reason its like my lips justwon'tstopmovingandallIcandoiskeeptalking… and talkingandtalkingcauseIreallycan'tstopandifyouevercatchmeatoneofthesemoments… you'llnoticethatIjustkeeptalkingevenwhenIneedairandmysentencescomeoutsofastthatI'mreallynotsayinganythingatall… andthenIcan'tgetanyairintomylungsandIstarttoturnblueand… and… and," Kagome tried to continue, but apparently she couldn't get enough air into her system to even try.

"Kagome!" Kirara said.

Kagome sucked in a breath, "Yeah?"

"You're doing it," she said.

"Doing what?" Kagome asked, confused.

Kirara tilted her head, "That babble thing you were talking about. You just did it. I swear, Kagome, you shouldn't do that, you can pass out. You were actually starting to turn blue from the lack of oxygen."

"Hmm… guess I didn't notice," Kagome shrugged. She went back to her painting, never noticing the strange stare she got.

It seemed that too much time inside the school changed everyone a little. Hell, it was even changing Kagome, since from what Kirara had seen this morning, the girl  **had**  been full of energy… but Kagome said that  _babble_ thing happened rarely, so why did it happen now? Even Kirara could tell there was something wrong with this school. Something that they'd probably never know of, since they were just kids, what secrets could they find? Plus, Kirara didn't really want to go putting her nose where it did not belong, since she wasn't really into adventure. She could write it… but she, even with her youkai blood, didn't like actually trying it.

Strange for a youkai… especially a neko, since they always say,  _curiousity killed the cat._

oOo

**Music**

"Now that we're done with the rules, lets all try to play together, shall we?" Mr. Onigumo said, waving his hand in the air. He had yet at actually give them any music sheets, since he wanted to see what they remembered; great musicians would play with or without music notes in front of their eyes. "Well, any ideas on what we should play?"

Mr. Onigumo rolled his eyes, as the students continued to stare at him. "Come on, I swear I can hear a bunch of crickets playing in the back there! What do you remember? What do you know you can play right now, without anything to help you?"

He still got no response. Growling in anger, he said, "Fine, I'll get the music sheets. However, since no one could give me one song they  _know_  they can play, you'll have to remember one by tomorrow!" The students groaned, but it didn't bother him since he just smiled a little.

Homework on the first day seemed like a good thing; they should be happy. Besides, he was trying to get them to become big. Most of the time, since they gave each student a two-hour session in the section they were best at, once they left the school they took up that profession. Probably for the best, though some of the jobs inside the profession might not pay very high.

Sango sighed, placing her flute back in her lap. (Sorry, can't remember if I had her using another instrument or not!) She knew a song, but she didn't want to seem like someone who wanted to play in front of everyone. Besides, she just wanted to see Miroku. She really didn't know what it was, but she really did like having him near her. She liked having him touch her, when she knew that before she would have slapped him. Maybe it was just something in the air! Whatever it was, she actually felt  _nice…_

Stretching for a moment, she felt her elbow bump into something. She heard a small 'ouch!' and quickly turned to apologize. "Gomen, I didn't mean to… I'm so… I swear it was an accident," she said. She closed her eyes, hoping the person understood.

"That's alright," came a male voice.

Sango blinked, opening her eyes. She noticed the flute in the boys lap, and looked up at him. That was weird… a boy – a boy with what looked to be flaming red hair, and glittering green eyes – who played the flute. Well, from the cravings in it she was sure it'd been passed down through the generations of his family. "Wow…"

"What? What is it?" he asked, his eyes widening a little.

"Oh, gomen, you play the flute?" she asked.

"Yeah, my mom played. She taught me when I was little, though I always wanted to the trumpet," he said.

"It's a very nice flute," she said.

"Oh, thanks," he said, "It… well, its special."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Hm… my name's Shippo, yours?" he asked, trying to get off the subject.

"Sango," she whispered, "Now, what's so special about a simple flute?"

He sighed, "Its made from my mother's fang. Like how youkai used to create weapons out of fangs and bones and sometimes flesh. Well, my mom decided to go out and find someone who could make her an instrument from her fang. In the end, she got this." He held it up as if it was the greatest prize he could ever have, before a sad look came over his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked, concerned.

Shippo felt a tear go down his cheek, "My mother will never see me play it."

"Why not?" she asked, her voice soft.

"I was using a regular store bought flute before," he said. "In her will she instructed that this be handed down to me. She died." His voice was flat, as he tried to seem like it didn't bother him anymore. It shouldn't; youkai were strong, but kitsune formed very special bonds with their parents, and it hurt to see them go. He felt a hand cover his and looked up at the girl smiling at him.

"I'm glad you told me, Shippo… but you didn't have to," she said.

"That's alright, you asked," he replied.

"Arigatou," she whispered.

"Douitashimashite," he replied, his tone a little sarcastic.

"I've never heard that," Sango said.

"Really?" he blinked. "It means 'you're welcome'."

"Well, I sometimes mix our language with English, since it is one of the three languages I can speak," she replied, smiling, "so I guess if I forget a few things its cause I'm learning new stuff."

"Cool, what other language do you speak?" Shippo asked.

"Well, I can speak a little Italian, but mainly I can speak English, and Spanish. My parents are always trying to shove some type of knowledge down my throat," she giggled.

"Alright," Mr. Onigumo interupted them, "come get a book, and we'll begin. We can't have you just seating in those seats off year, can we?"

oOo

**Drama**

"Alright people, gather 'round, gather 'round," Kiko said. She hated when the students called her 'Mrs. Sin'. Who cared if her last name was 'sin'? Well, others did, and they often questioned where the hell her father was when he thought of it? However, she didn't let that bother her, and continued to teach her drama class.

"So…" Inuyasha said, "you wanna hang out in the dorm later?"

Kikyo's cold stare turned toward him, as she said, "Not even if heaven and earth depended on it."

"Oh, come on, Kikyo!" he whined.

"I said 'iie', hanyou," she snapped. God, he wouldn't leave her alone. It was like he'd attached himself to her. She needed some space, since he was following her around like a puppy without a leash… but looking for one. Well, she wasn't going to attach one to his little neck and keep him, so he might as well go away.

"Cut the drama, Kikyo," Inuyasha replied, "spend time with  _me_ , onegai!"

"You two, get your butts over here," Kiko said, pointing over toward the two of them. She noticed that the girl named Kikyo, which was weird since she'd never had a student with their name one syllable away from hers, came instantly, obviously not wanting to be near the Taisho boy any longer. Inuyasha, the inu-hanyou, was a little slower though, as she snapped, "Inuyasha!"

"Wha?" he said, snapping to attention.

"Get over here before I drag you over by your puppy ears!" she growled.

"Hai… teach'," he said, moving faster. He sat on the edge of the stage, not wanting to have her actually take out that type of punishment on his ears.  _No one touches my ears without facing the consequences,_ he thought darkly, folding them on top of his head.

"And Inuyasha," she replied, "Don't ever call me 'teach' again, or I'll have you scrubbing this entire stage for detention."

He nodded, bowing his head. He couldn't help but wonder if Sesshoumaru had gotten into this much trouble yet. Probably not, since the guy was too much of a goody-goody. Sesshoumaru didn't actually show it, and was cold, distant, and a killer when he felt threatened or was merely out for his blood at a joke he'd spread around their old school… but his brother never really did anything bad. Well, he did, but he was never caught. Oh no, everything he'd done,  **he** ,Inuyasha, got blamed for it! Sesshoumaru was an asshole!

Still, he wondered what that other girl was doing. That one that Sesshoumaru  _seemed_ to be following earlier that day to… he really didn't know. Still, what if Sesshoumaru was the stalking the girl? Not that he cared, of course, he wanted Kikyo… but the girl had resemblance. But to who?  _Nah… not like I care,_ he thought.

"Inuyasha!" Kiko snapped, "Are you paying attention?"

"What?" he asked.

"Did you hear anything I just said, Mr. Taisho?" she asked.

"Iie, gomen," he whispered.

"Well, you'll have to ask someone else, because I'm not repeating myself. Oh, and you now have detention, Inuyasha," Kiko snorted.

"But-" Inuyasha whined.

"I will not take excuses, Inuyasha Taisho," Kiko snapped, "Either you pay attention, or you don't!"

"But I already have detention for tonight," he said, making it look really dramatic.

Kiko smirked, "Now, now, Inuyasha, don't worry. You'll have detention with me, tomorrow." Her tone was flat, unchangeable, and no one but Inuyasha would try. "Besides, I'm the drama teacher for a reason, Mr. Taisho. I know when someone is acting, and when someone is truthful. Now, get out of my sight!"

"Hai, oh high and mighty one," he whispered.

"Inuyasha Taisho, you just earned yourself another day!" Kiko yelled, sitting in the front row of seats. The auditorium was large, so that the entire school could fit within it, even leaving room. Over the left side was a banner with two masks, one happy, one sad. It showed where the drama students who merely helped paint the setting, or were waiting until the rest of the school was there, sat. Above the middle row was a banner with a paintbrush, pencil, and a few other art things, showing where the art students sat. Over the right side was a banner with instruments stitched into the fabric, showing where the Music students sat. However, the teachers sat up on the next level, which didn't even seem to be there.

 _Fuck!_ Inuyasha screamed to himself. He just hoped this 'Professor Katana' was a better teacher. If she wasn't, he was sure to be scrubbing everything in the damn place for a month in the next week. Obviously, unlike his other school, these teachers didn't his jokes. He was just joking, didn't they understand that? Kind of like when Sesshoumaru always tried to drown him in his cup of noodles, yet he couldn't because their dad would kill him.

Of course… that never was really a joke. Sesshoumaru was serious… Inuyasha gulped, thinking,  _he might actually do it next time. Damn… why didn't I ever think of that?_

Now he felt stupid. Oh well, a few minutes with Kikyo would cheer him up. He didn't know why, but her calm nature – when she wasn't angry with him, which she seemed to be since yesterday – seemed to sooth him. Always; he just hoped the feeling didn't go away once he finished with this damn school.

"Kikyo!" he waved his hand when he saw her. He saw her back stiffen, as she turned toward him, sneering.

"Look!" she snapped, "Go. Away. How hard is it?"

"Kikyo? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Look, Inuyasha, you're nice and all-" she couldn't continue. She rolled her eyes and looked away from him, turning back to the male who she'd been talking to. Suikotsu was his name. He didn't looked half bad, though he did seem a little bit youkai with the markings on his face. Still, he had the gentle features of a ningen, as if both sides of him were corresponding in piece.

"So…" Suikotsu continued, "What do you think, Kikyo?"

"I'd love to be your partner for any role, Suikotsu. I think we'd make a great team in any play Kiko decided to have us perform," Kikyo replied.

Inuyasha growled, "Kikyo!"

"What?" Suikotsu asked, "Who's this?"

"This is Inuyasha Taisho, Suikotsu," Kikyo said, before whispering, "He's been bugging me like… forever!"

"Natural among hanyou," he said, "Once they think they've found the right person they attach themselves to them. Kind of like a youkai does with its mate for a cycle of the moon."

"Really?" her eyes twinkled, "You know so much, Suikotsu."

Inuyasha frowned, "Do you have to say his name in every one of your sentences, Kikyo?" He narrowed his eyes at the ningen looking man, yet the aura coming off the guy told him that he did have youkai blood within him. Even if dormant, it was there.

Kikyo smirked, " _Suikotsu…_ "

"That's my name," Suikotsu joked, "Don't ware it out, I've only got a five-year warranty!"

"Oh, Suikotsu," she said, her acting skills making it seem dreamy-like.

Something inside Inuyasha burned – actually burned with hatred for the guy in front of him. Dark thought filled his head, things like pushing him down a couple flights of stairs; drowning him in the bath; beating him until he resembled nothing of what he once was! However, he pushed down the urge to claw the guy to pieces, noticing instead that Kikyo's scent held nothing but adoration. Unfortunately for Suikotsu, it just fueled the urge to kill him, and he nearly lunged when he felt something grab his sleeve and begin pulling him away.

"Now, now, Inuyasha," said another voice, "you can't keep getting into trouble. Violence is not allowed!"

"Let me at 'em," Inuyasha growled, trying to pull himself from the other person's grip. However, whoever it was had a firm grip on him, and wasn't about to let go. He felt something hit him over the head when he turned to find another guy staring at him.

"Who the hell are you?" he snapped, "And why the hell didn't you let me tear that damn  _Suikotsu_ to pieces?"

"Greetings, Inuyasha, my name is Miroku," he bowed.

Inuyasha continued to glare. When the guy didn't seem like he was going to answer his other question, even when he began tapping his foot, he rolled his eyes. "Well?"

"Hai?" Miroku asked.

"My other question," Inuyasha growled, whispering, "bastard."

"Now, Inuyasha, such foul language is not allowed when near such lovely ladies," Miroku pointed toward a group of giggling girls. "However, if you remember, Inuyasha, I have already answered your question."

Inuyasha gave a blank stare, "You have?"

"Hai, Inuyasha," he replied, mock surprise in his voice. "I told you when I drug you away, 'violence is  **not**  allowed'!"

"I don't give a fuck," Inuyasha snarled.

"Inuyasha!" a voice said, "That's another day! Do I have to start writing this down so I know you'll be there on time?"

"Iie, Kiko, gomen!" he replied.

Several people giggled, as he turned red. Though he didn't like him that much, Miroku was right. Everyone had been watching him make a fool out of himself all day, nearly getting detention from every teacher. He pasted just barely in Mrs. Johnson's room, but he did manage to escape without detention. It was like all the teachers' were out for him or something.

"Next time, Inuyasha," Kiko called, "Shut your mouth! Maybe then that foul language won't coming spilling out!"

Growling in anger, Inuyasha sat down where he was. He glared off at the nearest wall as Miroku went to walk to the girls. After a few minutes he heard the single scream of ' ** _Hentai!_** ' Apparently, though from what he'd seen, Miroku wasn't the best character, but he did have a good sense of humor. Still, what would that girl from the music section think if she heard Miroku had touched another woman? Female youkai were jealous, and possessive, maybe she would be too. It certainly would be entertaining to watch.

oOo

**Art**

"Kami, Kagome, its beautiful," Kirara whispered, leaning closer to the painting. Kagome really knew her stuff. Unlike most, Kagome painted from one side to the other. She didn't care about how many times he had to remix dried paint, or clean her brush, but she continued to work from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. She was nearly done, and the painting just seemed to get more beautiful with each passing stroke.

Not like Kagome heard her praise. She'd been in that  _little world_  since she'd stopped talking earlier, and Kirara couldn't seem to get her out of it. She'd noticed long ago that the inuyoukai, Sesshoumaru, kept glancing up, obviously wondering what she was painting, since Kagome continued to stroke and mix colors together, making the painting more enchanting the longer she continued. Kirara was almost afraid that if she pulled her out of that  _world_ she'd locked herself in that the painting would be ruined, the colors dulled.

However, what caught her attention most was the rose Kagome had painted in the male youkai's hand. The blossom was pointed toward his – well, what looked to be – lost love, while the sharpened stem was pointed off toward the cliff. On it was a nine-tailed kitsune in true form, its dark form hard to see from how far back Kagome had made it. However, you could make out the head, and legs and tails, since Kagome's lightly gone over the places with gray instead of blackish-blue. The rose was white, with the tint of light blue, making it seem like the moonlight was meant for it. The little bit of dew forming was amazing, since Kagome'd outlined it perfectly. Apparently, her little world was a good thing.

However, she loved the way Kagome'd mixed together very light pinks', which had once been reds' and oranges', tinting it into the blue shine of the moon. She still didn't know how she made it look like it was one with the other. Sure, if she'd just used the red, and orange it would have been ruined, but she didn't. Kagome was good.

Kagome continued to paint, only one glancing up at the clock. She still had fifteen minutes. She was doing good, since she was nearly done. Once she was, which at the moment she wasn't, she'd sign her name at the bottom.

She still didn't know how she'd actually painted that. In all her years she'd never painted anything as beautiful as the painting she was now finishing. Never! Not one! She hadn't even tried, but it just seemed like instinct that she'd remember exactly what her teacher told her about blending colors, and making them flow together neatly. She barely remembered it before, but she remembered it now.

Sesshoumaru finished the last stroke of his brush. He smirked,  _perfect_. The coloring, darks, mostly, was just how he'd imagined, though it did have a few more details then he remembered starting with when he began painting. Then again, he did pick up his pencil as he painted a few times, trying to make it better then before. Still, the painting was as perfect as he could get it, with the clouded sky covering the sinking sun, while the priestess and dragon fought off their opponents. Of course, he did add a bit of emotion that he hadn't thought he would. If he looked hard enough, he could have sworn her saw lust in their eyes for each other, but he wasn't going to say that.

He'd decided to make the miko's hair as white as the snow. However, her face was young and beautiful, showing that something – more in likely a dark miko cursed her – had happened to her to make her hair just turn to that color. He hadn't made it look like a natural albino, oh no, but like it'd been forced into that color, since their were a few strands of light brown throughout the locks. It'd been hard to actually capture the moment, but harder to decide what colors to use, since he usually just imagined the picture and painted it. However, he'd found that drawing it lightly, so the paint covered the lines, worked much better since then he'd have something so go by. Plus, he didn't miss any of those lovely details he wanted, since he captured it before trying to turn it into colors. Besides, it he drew it first, then he could decide if it would look better painted or not.

"That's very good, Mr. Taisho," Mrs. Parker said, leaning over his shoulder to look. "Very nice, indeed… it just needs you name at the bottom."

Over her shoulder she added, "I like the feeling of the painting, Mr. Taisho. It seems gloomy… yet has a sense that everything will be alright."

He nodded, rinsing the thin pointed brush into the cup of water he had. He swirled it around about twenty times, trying not to make the water accidentally fly out of the cup and onto his painting. After that he used a piece of cloth to smoothly press the water, and any dried paint from the bristles, before dipping it into a glob of red paint. With swift, elegant movements he curved his name onto a dried end of the painting. It stood out against the gray, and black he'd mixed there, easily read and curved to perfection.

Glancing up, he noticed that the teacher was leaning over Kagome's chair, her eyes wide as she studied the painting the girl was close to finishing. Her mouth hung open, as she said, "This… is absolutely beautiful, Kagome. Where did you learn to paint like this?"

Kagome did not answer. She continued to paint, every once in a while changing brushes, or washing paint from the one she was using.

Sesshoumaru watched as the neko youkai tapped the frowning teacher on the shoulder. She said, "Kagome said that she kind of going into a daze when she paints."

"Ah… I can see that," Mrs. Parker beamed, "but this… this is… this is not something I expected from a mere student. Perhaps a famous artiest who's been painting for around thirty years… but not someone her age…"

Sesshoumaru frown deepened. All he got was 'very good', and Kagome was getting 'its beautiful!'  _What the hell did she paint?_ He honestly couldn't answer that himself, as he watched as many of the others students began gathering around her. Rolling his eyes, he decided that he might as well see what the hell she was drawing, since sitting there wasn't going to help him any. He wanted to know what talent the girl had. He wanted to be better, even if he already was in other ways.

Standing from his seat when the crowd around her began to move away, he went to stand behind her. He heard the teacher mutter something, but he really didn't pay attention as he leaned over Kagome's shoulder to see what she was doing. His eyes caught sight of the painting, and they widened just a bit. It wasn't the colors, or the way it was painted that made the painting amazing… it was the emotion she placed within it. The place seemed cold, yet warm; depressed, yet loving; there was longing, and rage; there was a thirst for battle, while at the same time that thirst was replaced with some type of need he'd never come across. The way she'd put emotion into the painting made it amazing, since it seemed more real, like a photograph made with paint.

Jerking himself away from the painting, he felt his skin tingle. Miko energy. That was what she was using. That was why she went into that trance. She was using miko energy to make the painting seem more alive, even if she didn't know it. However, since she was flowing it into the paint it would forever be there. Unlike a normal painting it could not be destroyed for it was made from something pure. Nothing could get rid of it, all because she was doing something she didn't know of.  _Ironic,_ he thought, turning his head away.

However, he heard a sigh, and noticed that she'd turned her head to glare at him. Watching her through bored eyes, he said, "You paint nicely, miko."

"Thanks, youkai," she replied, turning away. She began doing as he had when he was done, and swirled her thinnest brush in warm water, before pressed it inside the cloth Mrs. Parker had given each of them. Afterward, she dipped her brush into black paint, before signing not only her name, but the date as well. She wanted everyone to know when she thought of and painted it.

The bell rung, however, and they left their paintings, drawing, and other things where they'd stopped, before thanking the teacher and going toward their final class.

**Training**

"I do hope that tomorrow you will all know that rules," she replied, pacing in front of the large group of students. Her dark blue eyes bore into them, as she placed a clawed hand on her waist, before saying, "Now, I expect  **all** of you with books, backpacks, or anything else, to place you stuff over there," she pointed, "on those shelves from now on. Go!"

People stared in confusion, not quite understanding what the youkai teacher was saying, before she snapped, "Get your lazy ass' up, and put your things away!" Her black whip, which was created from her youki building within her fingers before creating the whip like shape, slammed against the ground, making everyone rush toward the wall. She smirked; she was going to like whipping these people into shape. True, most of them were fit looking, but she was pretty sure they weren't into fitness.

"Now, tomorrow you will need your books. We will bring out the table, and chairs as I teach all of you, since everyone ningen and youkai alive, should know the ways of different things. Such as the way a youkai creates a cloud beneath their feet, or runs at nearly light speed. Or perhaps how the human brain works. Though some of you may not think these things will be important to you, it is. The world is changing people, and I didn't win my battles by not studying my opponent," she growled, making sure they heard her.

"Though not much fighting is done now a days, 'tis best you know what you could someday be up against! Who knows," she made her whip nearly hit a youkai in the back, "you could attacked at any moment, and not know it." Her whip came up against, and her eyes locked on Kagome's back, however when her whip came down a barrier surrounded the group, and she smirked. "I see that some of you, unlike others, are already prepared. However, you will still need guidance, since I'm sure even the best of fighters are willing to learn new things."

Kagome glared at the teacher openly, not trusting her for a moment. However, when the whip dissolved into the air, she allowed her power to slip, and tossed her bag onto one of the shelves. She walked back, noticing that Professor Katana was nodding approvingly at her actions. She wasn't stupid, you never take your eyes off a possible opponent.

"Now, I have a few rules," Katana said. "Actually, we'll start with my name. I'm sure you've all been told all about me, since the others seem to want to get you ready for the first day… not that it will help you.  ** _I_** am Katana Fang; you will call me Professor, or Professor Katana. Anything else will get the entire class running thirty laps outside on the training course."

A hand shot up.

"Hai?" she asked, sighing a little.

"There's a training course, Professor?" the girl asked.

"Hai, there is. Its through that door," she pointed to the door on the north wall, "Its blocked off by a wall, that no one can climb over. Don't ask, because I'm going to tell you. It has been reinforced with spell, and enchantments. The only way out of this school is through the main door, or when the enchantment falls, which is when the school year ends.

"It has everything, ranging from weapon fields, energy releasing sites, running area, shooting, fencing," Katana drawed out, her voice sounding lazy, "but of course there are areas that you are not allowed to go into until you are further along in your training. I place a certain… spell… if you will, on, well, you. It will restrict you from certain areas and allow you into others. Since the spell will be imprinted into you hand, the bottom of your foot, your forehead - I really don't care where you'd like it placed… but under no circumstances will I place it on a males  _equipment;_ you don't know how many times males try that – but it will only allow you into the areas I believe you are ready for. Any questions?"

Nothing…

"Good," she said. "Now, since this is a training class, I will strike at unexpected times, so I suggest everyone in this room to be prepared. I do not care if your race is not youkai, I will not hit you. That's the only thing I can guarantee, besides you not being killed. You are my responsibility; all of you, even if you do not wish it."

Kagome continued to watch, as suddenly Professor Katana's whip went flying. Everyone moved, though she stayed where she was. She was interested, besides she knew the teacher wouldn't hurt her. Plus, her suspicions were confirmed when the whip hovered above where her head was. She didn't know what it was, but this youkai was so well trained that she could make her whip just stop in mid-air.

"I see that some of you are bolder then others," she said. She eyed the youkai that was sitting behind the miko, and smiled. Her deadly fangs were shown, before she raised her whip once more. Acid built in her claws, and she sprayed it toward the two of them. She made it slow enough so they could move, but surprisingly the miko merely waved her hand. Her acid created a popping sound when it was purified when hitting the barrier. "You are lucky. You might be bold, but without your miko powers you would be helpless. You could have died, and yet you continue to sit there like nothing is happening. Amazing."

"You say yourself you would not strike us completely," Sesshoumaru's voice sounded from behind her. Kagome turned to find the youkai sitting comfortably, his arms wrapped around his knees. "Though the others do not seem to realize it, the only real thing we should fear is the training itself. You will strike Professor, but you will not harm, because as you have stated, we are your  **responsibility**."

"Very well spoken, shiro-inu (white dog)," she replied. "You are correct, I am merely setting a warning. Should you choose not to learn anything from me then you could very well be killed. Self-defense if just one little piece of the puzzle that all of you learn merely experience, but you must also know how to defeat your opponent. You must learn how to not give them an inch, but allow them to think they are winning at the same time. This way you will have the best attack, since they are completely unaware. I intend to teach this to you within the years you are here, since you must complete… what is it? Two, three years, here?

"Who cares really?" she asked, smirking again. Her face turned to her indifferent one, as she cast an eerie glance over the students. Her calculating eyes seemed to take them all in. Even now she was studying them; learning what made them tick; what set them off; what would make them stronger; which students to tell Professor Ivy would be some good matches from the way their auras would mix together. Of course, she could not tell  _that_ just by watching them now, but she could tell who was going to give her trouble…

Well, who was going to try to take any pity she might have. She had none. She really didn't care if they didn't learn from her, but if it would help the new world, the world that had changed so much from the world full of forest, and fresh air; violence, and death; something completely different from this peaceful time. Even she, being around six hundred years old, maybe more, did not know what brought on this time of peace. At one time she thought youkai might actually be overrun by ningen… but something changed. Something happened, and youkai began to come back from the verge of extinction, only to live with ningen  _peacefully._

It had lasted longer then she thought it would.

Something had happened to cause it, even if she did not know what it was.

"Hm… back to my rules. Another…" she pondered on it for a moment. Each year she changed her rules. At least she did most of the time, since staying with the same routine in these days was boring. "You must do everything I say. Now, this does have a few exceptions, like if you really must go to the bathroom, and I know this. Trust me, after you live six hundred and… well, I lost count after that, you'll know when another being feels discomfort in such areas.

"What I mean by doing as I say is this; you, being the  **student** , not the  ** _Professor_** of this class, must follow the instructions I give you. Like… now," she gave them a bored look, "I want you to get up, and run about ten laps. Though this is the first day, I do expect you to get used to training after your before and after lunch runs. I suggest that if you cannot handle  _running_ ten laps, then you walk those."

Sesshoumaru got up from his spot, before beginning to run. He didn't notice but many of the girls' in the class began following him. Of course, the Professor did, and her whip came down toward them, as he heard, "Separate girls. He's not some type of dessert you can just eat. Either you run, or I'll make you do something harder." Well, at least he wouldn't have to worry about those damn girls' trying to get at him.

Kagome on the other hand began running smoothly. She'd found Kirara, who was jogging next to her, trying to keep it at a slower pace then she would have down. However, Kagome continued to run forward, never once noticing how the Professor's eyes bore into them all as she began listing off what you could bring and what you couldn't. Apparently she was trying to test their listening abilities, since it did seem harder to hear her when actually running.

"I will allowed water bottles, since you will need  _water_ to keep yourself hydrated. I am youkai, people, and don't forget it. I will be able to smell if what you have is not water, even if it looks like it. I was trained to sniff out poisons that would usually be undetectable to even the beast youkai nose; you will not fool me. You may bring your own water, or you may use the fountain. Either way, I don't care as long as you don't try to be an arrogant child who will be caught.

"I can also sniff out gum, candy, pop, many things. Anything with sugar, you will get detention. Trust me, you do not want detention from me. I will not give you details. You want them ask one of older students.

"Girls, I expect this more from you then the boys. I will not allow any type of perfume, or cologne - boys - that will coat my nose. Should you, you will find yourself in the pond. Trust me, I know some pretty good teleportation spells. I also know some subjection spells, which will help me should you decide to go against my wishes. Should you also wear too much and this places reeks of it, you will find yourself in any body of water I know of. I will not except anything else. A small spray is fine, anything more…" she growled, lifting her lip up.

"Now… I believe I shall tell you the rest when I'm ready. That could be tomorrow, or halfway through the year. For right now you will continue to run. And don't try to run less then ten. I have set a spell under this floor. Whatever I say it will force you to either run, or continue to walk if you can't run anymore. However, you must complete ten laps." Katana continued to watch them, her body telling them that she was ready for anything.

Kagome sighed. Her day had sucked. It continued to suck. Her classes…  _They betrayed me… never have I been put through so much torture in one day… Can I last tomorrow? Will I make it through the end of the year? Oh god, I hope so! I still can't believe that I've been put through this. Why did mom send me here in the first place?_

_Top it off I have detention later… with jerk face Sesshoumaru!_

* * *

**Chapter Length:** 26,612

I also thought that it would be funny to still include this little tid-bit that I had written all those years ago when I wrote this chapter:

Inuyasha: You can't go to sleep, stupid bitch

Kiba: Go away, mom… not now…

Inuyasha: I'm not your mother, stupid bitch!

Kagome: Inuyasha, she's been up all day! Leave her be!

Inuyasha: I don't care! She has to make sure Hojo gets death road in  _The Assistant,_ and that I don't die in  _Wounded Heart 2_

Sesshoumaru: Inuyasha-baka, its  _Wounded Heart: Re-Written_

Inuyasha:  _-blank stare—_ it is?

Kagome: Inuyasha… you're in the story and you don't know?

Inuyasha:  _-Moves away—_ well, ah… KIBA GET THE HELL UP!

Kiba:  _ZZZZZZZzzzZZZZZZZzz_

Inuyasha: Kami… at least she doesn't snore

Kagome: - _rolls eyes—_ Inuyasha, if she did, you'd have no room to talk

Sesshoumaru: Really, Inuyasha, we could have told you that

Inuyasha: I DON'T SNORE!

Kagome: Actually, Inu…

Sesshoumaru:  _-smirks—_ Did you know you talk in your sleep, as well? I was very interested in hearing about how you liked to cuddle with a unicorn plushie last week

Inuyasha:  _-pales—_ I DO NOT! I DID NOT! HOW… DARE YOU!

Kiba:  _-still sleeping—_ Stop yelling, Inu-baby… you're giving me a headache

Inuyasha: - _mouth drops open—_ Did she just…? She didn't… She…

Kikyo: Hey guys!

Inuyasha: KIKYO!

Kagome:  ** _SIT!_**

Inuyasha: Mm… MMMmmmm…  _\- five minutes later; pulls himself off the ground—_ Why the hell did that work? We're not on set! Besides… I should have been able to get up faster

Kagome & Sesshoumaru: We had Kiba put a permanent subjection spell on you! It works better then ever! You can get one yourself for only $19.99, plus shipping and handling if you order now

Inuyasha:  _-horrified—_ What the hell was that about?

Kagome:  _-scratches head—_ Sorry… its apart of the spell Kiba did. We don't really know. We just can't leave each other's side off set - _–stares dreamily up at Sesshoumaru—_ Isn't it great?

Sesshoumaru:  _-nods—_ Yes, it is, my love!

Inuyasha: What the hell? Kiba  _–Kiba rolls away before he can kick her—_ GET UP! Stop this madness!

Katana: What the hell is all the yelling about?

Kikyo:  _-heated glare—_ How the hell did you get over here?

Katana:  _-smirk—_ Didn't you know? I'm the  ** _Professor_** in  _Breeding School…_

Kikyo:  _-pales; rushes to Kiba, shaking her—_ NO! NO! NO! GET UP YOU DAMN WOMAN! WE CAN'T ALLOW HER HERE, SHE'LL KILL ME JUST LIKE SHE DID IN  _WOUNDED HEART: RE-WRITTEN!_

Kagome:  _-smiles—_ You have nothing to worry about then, Kikyo

Kikyo:  _-pure hatred blazing in her eyes-Nothing to worry about_?

Sesshoumaru:  _-wraps arms around Kagome—_ Didn't you know? Kiba put a spell on Kagome to make her THE original Katana. The spell only turns on when we need to be on set, though. This is another person so she can be THE Kagome in this motion picture

Kiba:  _-whispers in his ear—_ Fanfiction

Sesshoumaru: Whatever

Inuyasha: Hey, when did you get up?

Kiba:  _-shake-y smile—_ Ah… I didn't…

Inuyasha:  _-blank stare—_ Oh… really? That's odd

Kiba:  _-whispers—_ Hey, Sessho

Sesshoumaru:  _-snarls—_ Do not call me that, woman

Kiba:  _-continuing to whisper—_ Whatever… if you want, while Inuyasha's trying to figure out that I'm not asleep, you can use my closet

Sesshoumaru: What are you…? Oh!  _–nods—_ Yes, I believe I'll take you up on that. KAGOME!

Kagome: Yeah?

Sesshoumaru: Come my love

Kagome:  _-giggles—_ ok

Kiba: While they have some fun, I'm going to go back to bed. Inuyasha might take a while to actually figure out that I'm not asleep… and well, Suikotsu just walked on set, so Kikyo should be gone for a while. Anyway, I'm gonna go back to sleep! 'Kay! Ja ne  _–waves—_

_-Twenty-five minutes later—_

Inuyasha: HEY, WAIT A MINUTE! KIBA, YOU FUCKIN' BITCH, YOU TRICKED ME! JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY CLAWS ON YOU!

Kiba:  _-safe in locked room—ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzZZZZzz…_ Go away, Inu-baby…  _-sits up suddenly—_ I don't know Inuyasha, or any of the related characters  _–falls back on the bed—_

Inuyasha:  _-pounding on the door—_ Kiba, you fuckin' bitch, let me in! I know you're in there! Kiba! Kiba, open this door right now! Come on, what do I have to do, admit my undying love for you?  _–crickets chirping—_ KIBA!


	6. Detention

Kagome moaned, rubbing her hands against her thighs. Her bag seemed heavier then before, though she was pretty sure it was still the same weight as before. However, gazing around at all the different people walking out of their 'Training Class' she noticed that all the ningen looked as if they'd just taken a five miles hike, or more. Glaring behind her toward the door, which held a banner over it, she huffed. The banner was nice, though, with the two crossed swords, and a staff behind them. That was cool, but other then that, the place would forever be her nightmare.

That Professor Katana sucked! The youkai obviously didn't know when to leave  _her_ alone. After running six laps it nearly gave her a heart attack when she was nearly hit with that whip. Sure,  _Professor_  Katana promised not to hurt them, but her instincts made her move. She could have sworn she'd pulled something during that move.

She'd need a nice relaxing bath. Good thing each dormitory had a set of showers for the girls', and one for the boys'. They also had two large bathes, which looked more like two blocked off hot springs! She couldn't wait to take a dip in that, even though she really didn't want anyone else to be there. Everybody might make fun of the way she looked or something, and she didn't want that. Better if she was alone, anyway, since some of the perverted youkai would probably want to listen in when there were tons of girls' in there. After all, with their demonic hearing they should be able to hear just about everything!

Yep, bathing by herself seemed like a great idea.

Well, Kirara might be a fun person to bathe with. Well, in the friend sort of way, since she wasn't into women. She sure hoped Kirara wasn't either. She just liked it when she had someone who could reach the places on her back that she couldn't. Being  **completely** clean was something she was going to accomplish, since it shouldn't be too hard. Besides, she could always try her hardest to scrub every inch of her body without pulling anything.

 _Better yet, pulling something might be a good thing,_ she thought,  _maybe I can get out of Training Class. Hai… that is something I'll have to try later on in the year. Well, if I just can't take it. I don't want to fail or anything._

"You look like your ready to drop, miko," came that so familiar, yet cold voice. She would have thought that after trying to be nice to him today that he'd drop the cold act. Apparently he wasn't going to, so why the hell should she try and be nice when she was sore.

Huffing, she replied, "So?"

"Maybe you should think about getting some sleep—"

She smiled; maybe he was changing for her! "Really, you think so? That's so nice—" he cut her off before she could finish.

"—Forever," he said. He smirked when he saw the miko tense, turning to him while walking. She continued to walk backwards, glaring at him.

"Now, really, Sesshoumaru. That was uncalled for," she snapped.

"What? This Sesshoumaru merely meant to imply that your voice is so annoying that they should cut your vocals from your throat. Also that your mere presence does nothing for my good health, which obviously makes it bad for others as well," he continued to smirk, gazing at her with that same bored look he gave her.

"Jackass," she hissed, turning away from him. She began marching down the hall, wondering how the hell she was going to put up with him for detention. They would probably be given some meaningless task, like the teachers at her old school used to do to poor Sango. They never seemed to understand that Sango released her anger with certain  _techniques._  Sango was always getting detention, but she never once failed a class. Kagome was sure that they could both get through this year, even if Sango was acting weird; she was stuck with the cold-hearted bastard, Sesshoumaru; they were in different sections. Either way, they got what they got, and nothing could change that.

"You should not try and mumble such things, miko," he snarled.

She rolled her eyes, before saying, "I did not mumble, Sesshoumaru! I was speaking in the same level voice, so get off my back!"

"You are still mumbling, miko," he replied, his tone curious. Why would she say such things when she was clearly doing it?

"I haven't mumbled, yet, Sesshoumaru. Stop saying I am," she yelled.

His eyebrow rose up, "Strange…"

"What?" she snapped.

"You sound like you are mumbling, yet I can tell that you are not lying. Therefore, you are not mumbling… What could cause this?" he questioned, gazing around the corridor.

"No idea," she said, not quite sure what to make of what he was talking about. Maybe some rare lesser youkai had gotten into the walls and was making things really weird. However, she ignored it, and turned away from Sesshoumaru, before going off with her own kind: ningen.

Sesshoumaru merely watched her go, having stopped gazing around the corridor. He didn't know what it was about the girl. Maybe she was just too innocent, but for some damn reason he could not hate her as much as he wanted to. She reminded him of someone, but he could not figure out whom. Not that he really cared, since it was not something that nagged his mind. Still, though he did hate her presence, he couldn't find a reason to hate her completely.

 _Probably just because I haven't been around her long enough; after all, its only been a little over a day since that awful bus ride,_ Sesshoumaru sighed to himself. He heard the usual ranting of his inner youkai, and wondered what was wrong with the beast. However, like always, the beast was merely there to annoy him, which it decided to do.

It spoke, its voice filling his head with its deep rumble,  _or perhaps you don't wish to hate her…_

He growled, knowing that the beast was wrong. That ningen onna was nothing compared to him! He knew that what his beast said was wrong! However, he also knew that the fucking bitch could never truly be hated. She was an innocent. She was pure for her age, which was strange among ningen. Usually they wished to know the pleasure of another's body around there fifteenth year of life… well, the ningen he knew did. However, they were all sluts, and a waste of time. The girl was different. Not only was she powerful, but she also didn't lunge at him for his body. That was the only reason he could not truly hate her. Probably why no one would ever be able to truly hate her.

 _You keep thinking that,_ his beast sang. The image in his mind was a large shiro-inu shaking its head back and forth in laughter. However, Sesshoumaru blocked that, trying to make the insolent animal go back to its corner.

 _Stay out of my thoughts, you stupid piece of trash,_ Sesshoumaru snapped. He watched as the beast's image smirked the best it could in the animal form before crawling toward him. However, the bonds that held it stopped its process shortly after, and it wagged its tail.

_So… you're calling yourself a piece of trash, now are you?_

_Iie, baka-beast!_ Sesshoumaru continued to snarl at it, daring it to say another word.

The beast gave a chuckle, saying,  _ah… but you did, baka-master. I am you; you are I. We are one and the same. Therefore, if I'm a piece of trash, then you are as well._

 _You are not this Sesshoumaru. We **are** apart of one another, but we are not the same, _Sesshoumaru growled darkly.

The beast's eyes held a gleam; he said,  _there you are wrong, baka-master. We are the same being. However, unlike you, this beast does not lock himself away or hide his emotions._

_Oh… and baka-master, you should watch out for that wall…_

_What are you talkin—_ Sesshoumaru flinched, his nose colliding with the wall at the end of the corridor. He backed away, his eyebrow twitching. He hoped that no one had seen that. A youkai of his status should not be running into walls. Stepping away from the wall completely, he turned down the corridor, planning on heading toward the Art dormitory.

He didn't get far, though. "Oh, Sesshoumaru!"

His eyebrow twitched again. He did not need her at this moment. She was worse then Kagome Higurashi! She was worse then the annoying creature he called his inner youkai. She was nearly worse then his brother. He decided to ignore her, hoping that she'd go away. It worked with other females trying to pursue his person, so it should work the same with her. Well, to a degree, since she was a demoness instead of a meaningless ningen.

He still did not like her.

"Sesshoumaru, are you paying attention to me?" Kagura said, gripping his wrist. He pulled away from her, however, and she pouted. "Don't be so cold, Sesshy!"

"Do not call this Sesshoumaru by such a degrading name, woman," he hissed, flexing his claws. God, he knew it was wrong, but right now he wished that Kagome would come and use her miko abilities to make the demoness go away. Though he hated the woman, he did wish that she  _was_  the jealous type after his person, that way she'd place a barrier around him. One that would stop Kagura's approaching all together! He only wanted this for as long as Kagura was near him, though.

However, he only wanted this because he knew he could not harm the wind demoness. It was a rule; one that he would forever hate as long as this woman was constantly trying to get ahold of his affections – he, Sesshoumaru, did not give affection toward  **any** female like her. If Kagome did want him, and was a jealous woman who wouldn't allow anything near the man she wanted, then she would merely get rid of the demoness. Probably kill her, which would accomplish his goal of getting Higurashi out of the school. Then he'd not only accomplish what he  _desperately_ wanted, but he'd get rid of this annoying female.

He'd be killing two birds with one stone.

"Oh, come on, Sesshoumaru," she tried to rub against his side, "you know you like it!"

"Back off, woman," he growled. His growl was designed to warn away a female not wanted, but Kagura seemed to ignore it. He didn't know why, but this female was just plain stubborn. Stubborn women were the worse kind in his eyes.

"So… Sesshoumaru, I heard you have detention later," Kagura sighed, batting her eyelashes. "You wanna do something afterward?"

"Iie," he said. His tone was flat, annoyed, and dangerous. If she didn't go away, he wouldn't be in control of his actions. This female seemed to think that he wanted her since the time that she'd pushed Higurashi in the corridor. However, something about her made him disgusted, and he wished for her to leave, at least, a twenty foot radius between them at all times.

"Why not?" she whined.

He chose to ignore the question. His nose seemed to rise a little higher in the air as he moved forward, turning another corner that should lead straight to the Art dormitory. Unfortunately for him, though, Kagura continued to follow him.

"I asked you a question, inu!" she hissed.

"And this Sesshoumaru chooses to ignore it, bitch," he snorted, the sound seeming a little strange coming from him. He could not control it, though, since his anger was being provoked more then it should be.

"What is it that you don't like, Sesshoumaru? Do I smell? Am I not skinny enough? Whatever it is, I'll fix it!" she cried, her voice sounding a little broken.

"What this Sesshoumaru finds wrong, you, Kagura, cannot fix," he growled.

Kagura glared, saying, "I can, and I will."

"Iie, I'm afraid you can't, Kagura," he replied. "Now, why don't you run along, and go find some other male to play with. This Sesshoumaru does not want you, whore."

"How dare you," Kagura hissed? The wind seemed to suddenly burst into the corridor, but the youkai before her seemed not to notice. His silver hair was picked up, swaying almost gently, as if she was merely making a breeze.

"Easily," he replied. He never understood why females' said such things. It made no sense. They should have been able to tell by themselves yet they were always asking for an explanation to another's words. Kind of like when they said, "Oh, no you didn't" when it was obvious the person did, or the female wouldn't have said the stupid phrase in the first place.

Kagura growled, her eyes leaking a dark shade of red. Her voice sounded a little less lady-like, as she said, "Answer my question, inu! What. Don't. You. Like?"

Sesshoumaru smirked, a gleam filling his eye, " _Everything_."

Kagura seemed to snap, "Its that miko girl, isn't it? What, does the great heir I've heard so much about love humans? I heard that you hated them, since your father decided to mate a human. I guess whoever got that into an article was wrong!"

"The miko has nothing to do with you, or I, bitch," he growled. His mind seemed to fill with different ways to cook said bitch. Maybe a raw Kagura would taste good on his tongue, but then again cooking her would seem like a better idea. That way he could fire away anything she might give him by eating her. Then again, boiling her would probably bring him more sick pleasure, since he could watch her scream and thrash until finally she died in extremely hot water.

"Why don't you say that again, and we can see how much of a bitch I can be?" Kagura hissed.

"Go find another male and get on your knees for him, Kagura. I'm sure they'd like ' _how much of a bitch you can be',_ " Sesshoumaru gave a short chuckle, before freezing her with his glare. He continued to glare at her, until she finally began streaming with tears. However, he did not care. She could cry all she wanted, nothing would change what, or how he felt at the moment.

"Why you son of a bitch," Kagura growled, readying her claws to strike him.

"You know, you shouldn't take my lines. After all, I'm pretty sure I'm the first person in this school to call him that," an utterly sweet voice said. "Having trouble with the  _bitch,_ are you Sesshoumaru? I would have thought you could do better then that."

"Shut your mouth, Higurashi," Sesshoumaru snapped, turning his face to look at her. She was dressed differently then before, but he paid little attention to it. Her hair was wet, but he paid no attention to that, either. However, his mind seemed to understand that he'd been standing here arguing with Kagura longer then he thought.

"Oh, so now we're going by last names, are we youkai," Kagome said, lifting an eyebrow. She found she actually  _liked_  tormenting him this way. She never thought she'd find amusement in the anger of another being, but Sesshoumaru brought that out in her. Perhaps it was because they'd started off so badly, or perhaps it was simply because they could not get along, even though they'd only known each other for about three minutes before they started fighting.

"This Sesshoumaru will not warn you again, miko," Sesshoumaru growled.

Kagura, not having heard him, hissed, "What do you like more about her then me? She's just a ningen. Pretty, perhaps, but nothing compared to the raw beauty of a demoness. Tell me, Sesshoumaru, what is it?"

"This Sesshoumaru does not have to answer that—"

"He doesn't like me!" Kagome laughed, patting her hand against her knee gently. However, Kagura seemed to not be listening, for she continued to stare at Sesshoumaru with pleading eyes. If she did like Kagura, she might have pitied her.

She didn't, though.

"—Simply because I hate you more then I hate this miko. At least she knows when she is not wanted from what this Sesshoumaru has seen. However, you, for a demoness, should know from my growls that you should leave me be. You, Kagura, choose to ignore that, which only makes you more pathetic then a simple ningen," Sesshoumaru snarled. He was getting toward his last nerve, and hopefully no one pulled on them anymore.

Never in his life had he been pushed this far so fast. It was like everyone in this damn school wanted him to transform and probably destroy the place. It was like every time he turned around there was someone else to push his buttons. Even his father couldn't have gotten him this angry, this fast; that happened to have been years ago, when he hadn't pushed himself to become so controlled. Now, it was like that control was slipping from his fingers, and he could barely swim in the thick water it was creating around him.

"I am not  _pathetic,_ Sesshoumaru! I don't care what you say; I'll make you love me. I will," she hissed. She glanced toward Kagome, narrowing her eyes, "No simple ningen girl's going to stand in my way."

Kagome seemed to snap as well, her raw miko power flooding the corridor, causing the youkai to tense. Sesshoumaru glanced at her, confusion writing itself over his face for a moment. What had set her off? Why was she suddenly so protective? What was she protecting? Him or her? Was it Kagura's sudden attack at her race that set her into this mode? Perhaps it was. He didn't understand that, though. If it was the fact that Kagura had called Kagome a 'simple ningen' then she should have attacked him many times that day.

"Ningen I may be, Kagura, but I have power that could easily kill you," Kagome smirked. She felt like something else was suddenly controlling her. Like the words flowing from her mouth were not her own, and as strange as it sounded, she really didn't mind. "You,  _demoness,_ have no right to call me simple. You are, however."

Kagura remained tense, snapping, "Too bad you don't know how to properly use it!" She actually hadn't caught the last bit of what Kagome said, but her inner beast was hissing. Though she could not transform, she did have the beast as guidance when things went bad, or just when it decided that it had had enough and fought for control to attack something.

"Really?" Kagome hissed. Her eyes took on a white haze, her pupils contracting, before becoming cat-like silts, which seemed to be painted purple. She tilted her head to the side, mouthing that Sesshoumaru should move. When he did, she spun on the spot, slamming her hand into Kagura's stomach. Her miko energy was blasted into her system, paralyzing her, which sent her flying until she hit a wall.

"Oi, there! Young lass, no violence," the teacher ran into the corridor. He gripped Kagome by the shoulder, pulling her back when she went to go after Kagura. "Now, why don't you tell me what's happenin'."

"Gomen, I don't know what got into me," Kagome smiled, her eyes changing when she blinked. She looked over at Sesshoumaru, saying, "Are you alright, Sesshoumaru? I didn't mean to hurt you if I did… I honestly… don't know what just happened."

"I'm fine, Higurashi," Sesshoumaru replied, gazing over at the fallen demoness. Now, that was pathetic. Freezing on the spot when even he knew the miko was going to attack. Any youkai should know that you must move in order to survive a miko's attack. Kagura had froze instantly, even before Kagome's attack touched her, which was ultimately her demise.

She shook her head, turning back to the teacher, "Gomen ne domo. I-I really don't know what just happened."

The teacher nodded, before saying, "As long as you apologize once she comes back to class. I'm sure that attack of yours sent her for a loop, Ms. Higurashi. She should be out of the medical chamber in a few days, depending on how hard you hit her."

She nodded, and watched as he walked off, smiling. However, when he was out of sight, and hopefully couldn't hear her, she mumbled, "Not gonna happen."

Sesshoumaru gave a small smirk, but went neutral when she turned back toward him. He took in her wet hair, and the drying water on her skin, and raised a brow. It was obvious that she'd had a bath, but why had she suddenly come to his rescue when he…  _wanted_  it. He lied when he spoke, though, "Why are you always there when you're not wanted, miko?"

She blinked, "Uh… you must be wrong, youkai."

"Why's that?" he asked. He hated being called a lair, even when he knew he was lying.

"I—" she stopped, before continuing, "this might sound strange, but I felt like I was needed. Something in the back of my mind continued to bug me until I got out of the bath. Lucky thing I did, we have about ten minutes to get to Mr. Evens classroom for detention.

"Hey, how long have you been out here, anyway?"

He shrugged, turning around. However, Kagome stopped him once again.

"Aren't you going to put your bag away? I'm sure you probably have things in there that you don't need for detention. Plus, we don't want you to lose anything, youkai.

"I mean I've already done the homework for English class. It took me a while, since I just finished before I started my bath, which was around fifteen minutes ago. Still, we don't want you to lose it, do we?

"Strange…" she was about to continue, but a hand was placed over her mouth. Though it was Sesshoumaru's hand, she couldn't help the blush that rose in her cheeks. She scowled against him, wondering why she hated him, yet she felt like they could have something.

"Miko," he whispered, his voice just high enough for her to hear, "you're are  _babbling._ " He removed his hand, happy to see that she was now glaring at him, instead of looking like a lovesick teen. Well, she was a teen, but that blush was not something he'd expected at the moment.

"Gomen," she said. She began walking past him. "Ah… you can put your things away, if you want. I know youkai can travel faster then us ningen, so I'm sure you'll get there on time. Probably before I do."

"I'm sure I  **would** , Higurashi," he replied, deciding that she was probably right. He hated to admit it, but she  **was**  right. Taking his things to detention wasn't the smartest thing in the world, since the last time he was there he lost nearly everything he had. He wasn't even sure how it happened, either.

She tensed; "Arrogant youkai" was hissed from her lips. She couldn't believe that arrogant jackass! She was trying to be nice, yet he has to go all, 'youkai are better' on her. She already knew that!  _Kami, am I forever destined to be surrounded by arrogant youkai bastards,_ she asked herself?

oOo

"Ah… glad to see that you're both here on time, children," Mr. Evens said, looking back at the two students standing in the doorway. He actually didn't have a punishment set up for them yet, but he could give them some type of punishment. After all, he did not tolerate note passing in his classroom.

Sesshoumaru growled a little at being called a child by this ningen. However, he was taught to respect his elders, and merely nodded his head in agreement. His eyes caught the vigorous nodding of the girl beside him, obviously glad not to have been late. He almost left her in the hallway, but Mr. Evens orders came back to him, and though he didn't want to, and knew it would anger the miko, he stayed with her. Well, about twenty feet ahead of her until they turned the last corner, but it was basically the same.

Kagome smiled a little brighter, nearly skipping into the classroom, before seating herself at the front desk. "So… Mr. Evens, what are you going to have us do? I've never been in detention before," she glared a little at Sesshoumaru, "but I'm sure whatever your task is, we'll be able to do it!"

"Eager; I like that, Ms. Higurashi. However, I do not have something for you to do at the moment, so…" he gazed around the classroom, "you, Ms. Higurashi, may dust this classroom, before rearranging my new books in with my old ones in alphabetical order.

"You, Mr. Taisho, are youkai. You'll need a harder punishment." He watched as Kagome went to work. "Ah… I know. You can come with me to get my new desk! Professor Ivy informed me that it should be down by the main doors. It'll be too heavy for me to carry all the way here by myself, but you'll do just fine, since you should be able to carry it quite easily. After that I'll just have to find something else for you to do, since your punishment shall only last an hour.

"Do you think you can clean this room within that time, Ms. Higurashi?" he asked.

"Yeah, if you tell me where to find a duster," Kagome smiled. "I'll straighten the desks for you too! After that I can probably get some other thing to occupy my punishment, Mr. Evens."

"Very well," with that he waved for Sesshoumaru to follow him. "You can find the duster on my desk, Ms. Higurashi."

Sesshoumaru, sighing to himself, heard a thud behind him. He also heard Kagome's dull groan, as the scent of dust, and old books filled his nose. He smirked, hoping the girl broken something from her fall.

Kagome rubbed her backside, glancing toward the door. She hoped no one saw that. She didn't know what just happened, but when she'd reached up to check on the 'A – D' shelf, where Mr. Evens had his books, they'd come falling down. She'd managed to stop them in mid-fall, but that required her catching the five that fell, thus she landed on the ground. Luckily none of the other books fell, and she hoped to kami that no others did.

Dust filled the air, and she coughed, waving her hands around with the books in them. They were thin, but she could tell that they must have held great importance. She also knew that she shouldn't read too much into it, so she set them to the side when the dust settled. However, her nose decided to get the better of her, and before she could stop herself she sneezed around four, to six times.

Looking up, she knew she could easily find the new books, since they looked brighter then the others. Well, the others just looked older, which was… the same thing. Still, as she began moving quickly to rearrange the books, her mind constantly working to figure out where to put them. She'd already placed the books that fell back into their places, and pushed them back far enough so they wouldn't fall again,  _hopefully._

…

She didn't know how long she was working, but it seemed that her mind was on the task that was given to her. She'd finished putting the books in there right places: alphabetical order, like Mr. Evens asked, and began dusting them. That didn't take too long, well, if you take out all those times she turned her head to sneeze.

She hated dust!

However, it only seemed like a little while later before she heard the squeezing of wood on marble. From the sound it seemed like they were pushing the desk, but when they came into the classroom she could hardly fight back the smile threatening to cross her features. The sight was just too good. Once she was done looking, though, she turned back to the statue she was dusting, fighting back another sneeze.

Sesshoumaru was holding the desk rather high on his end, while Mr. Evens was panting, his end sagging against the ground every once in a while. Sesshoumaru was smirking, before dropping his end. When the teacher went to complain, Sesshoumaru moved to the side, easily picking the entire desk up before steadily moving toward the front of the classroom.

"You should have done that earlier, Mr. Taisho," Mr. Evens narrowed his eyes. "It seems to me that you merely did this to show off to… the  _girl_." He tilted his head toward the girl who was currently dusting like a crazy woman, sneezing about every two minutes. It was obvious to him that the girl's nose didn't like the particles in the air, which were floating into her nose. She was probably allergic to it.

He gazed around the room. Kagome had kept her promise. She'd straightened the desks, probably while she was moving around the room to dust, and she'd been dusting as fast as she could. However, her current sneezing was beginning to worry him, and he said, "You may stop now, Ms. Higurashi."

"I'm almost done, though," Kagome sneezed again, her head shaking from the force.

"Iie, I must insist, Ms. Higurashi," he replied. He noticed that Sesshoumaru wasn't paying much attention. He'd taken the new desk and set it down beside the old one, before he began placing things from the old one onto the new one in almost the same place. Sesshoumaru was doing fairly well, but when he began reaching into the draws he went to stop him. No need for him to go looking through things that only one of the teachers, or older students knew of.

"Arigatou, Mr. Taisho, I'll take over from here," he said. "I'll just have Professor Katana come in, in the morning and move it to the spot I want it. She should find a little entertainment in it, since she's can be quite a help when she wants to be."

Sesshoumaru merely nodded. The whole way to the main doors and back the teacher had tried to talk to him. However, after about twenty minutes of carrying the desk he realized that he really wasn't paying any attention to him. The truth was, he had been paying attention, since the man was talking mostly about the history of the school, and the different places that they, as  _children,_ would probably like to see, or explore. Well, the places they could, since he never once mentioned anything in the South Wing.

It had been interesting. He wanted to know everything he could about his new surroundings, so getting information from a teacher was a good thing. However, when he stopped talking he almost let himself ask him to continue. He'd caught himself, though.

Kagome moved away, wiping her hand over her nose a few times, while breathing in. She placed the duster on the old desk, before giving a small bow to the teacher. Opening her mouth, she asked, "How much time do we have left, Mr. Evens?"

The teacher smirked, giving him the same look Sesshoumaru got from his father every time he was punished while little. The look told him that the teacher still had something else to do, since he wasn't going to tell them how much time was left until they were finished with there newest task. "Enough to wash this floor, I believe."

"The floor?" Kagome asked, looking down at it. The floor looked almost new, why would it need to be washed.

"Hai, I must have you do something. So, until your time is up, you will wash the entire floor. From that side of the room," he pointed over toward the door, "to this side," he motioned toward the chalkboard. Just like all the other rooms, it was a lot bigger then a normal sized classroom would be, which meant they were going to be at it until the end of their time. Hopefully they worked fast, they only had around thirty minutes left, but the floor hadn't been cleaned in around a year or more.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. He would have to get on his knees, and clean a stupid floor! Who did this ningen male think he was? Kami! However, before another growl could burst through his chest, he stopped himself, and looked away.

"You ok, Sesshoumaru," Kagome asked.

"Hai, miko," Sesshoumaru replied, his tone bored.

Kagome huffed, "Where will we find buckets, and rags, Mr. Evens?"

"Oh, well, lucky you, I've already had them brought up. I was going to clean the floor myself, but you should be able to do a nice job. If you don't finish don't worry. Inuyasha Taisho will finish the job tomorrow," Mr. Evens smirked, "I believe it will do him some good."

Sesshoumaru gave a smirk of his own. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy this. He'd tell the miko to go slowly, and hopefully she'd comply. That way Inuyasha got most of the work. He was sure his brother had detention today, tomorrow, and probably the rest of the week. Inuyasha was always getting into trouble. The only problem was his brother was in Drama instead of Art, so he couldn't put the blame on him like he did at their old school.

As Mr. Evens went to go get the items needed, Sesshoumaru leaned down to Kagome. His mouth nearly touched her ear, as he whispered, "We need to work slowly. Inuyasha  **should** be punished more then us. Think about it, miko, we do around a tenth of the work, and Inuyasha'll get the rest!"

Kagome smiled. She didn't like Inuyasha. She'd happily give him most of the work. Turning toward Sesshoumaru, as he moved away, she whispered, "Your on, youkai! I too believe it will do Inuyasha some good. Maybe getting his knees dirty will teach him that he shouldn't mess with a woman."

Sesshoumaru's beast did something odd. It didn't exactly like the Higurashi girl, either, but it said,  _that's my girl!_

 _What the hell are you talking about?_ Sesshoumaru asked, confusion etched into his voice.

 _What…? I merely meant that I'm happy she agreed to your plan. Inuyasha needs punishment for merely being born,_ it snorted.

In a deeper part of his mind, he whispered,  _I hope that's what you meant._ The beast never heard it, though.

Once they began, they did their best to work slowly, giving Inuyasha more work then they'd did. Lots more, since Kagome began on the left side of the room, while Sesshoumaru worked on the right. They scrubbed the room from the edges to the center, keeping it around five feet, before reaching each other. By then they'd turn around and go back toward the wall, working at the slowest rate they could.

By the time they were done, they were happy to say that Inuyasha would do far more work just with the floor then they did with everything else. It made them both happy. However, they wouldn't admit to the other that they found working together a good thing. They wouldn't admit that they liked working together to make Inuyasha's life miserable.

They were both too stubborn…

… And they knew it.


	7. The Taiyoukai Heir

Finally, she could go to sleep, and not have to worry about stupid youkai bothering her. Really, she knew she should try and keep her mouth shut, but she couldn't help it. All she wanted to do was make conversation, but then that blasted Sesshoumaru growled something about leaving him alone, before he tore out her vocals.

How rude!

Then he mentioned something about her voice being the most annoying thing he'd ever heard. Apparently, their whole working together thing was over as soon as they left Mr. Evens room. She would have been fine with that, if the jackass would have just asked her to leave him be, or kindly mentioned that they were no longer doing anything together. No, he had to use the whole, 'I'm youkai, hear me roar' bit, and use the threatening of strength. Well, he wanted to play that way, she'd just use a little miko magic, and he'd find himself on his ass in a corridor.

Sighing, Kagome moved around the table in the dormitory. Her eyes caught a cracked door off to the side, which instantly sparked her curiousity. It was off to the side, not where the older students were held, but where she'd seen the teachers go the night before. Though she knew she shouldn't, as she neared, she heard voices, and her natural instinct was to listen in. However, she knew there might be youkai teachers in there, and her miko abilities kicked in to hide her from anything… even hiding the little amount of miko power she used to do so.

Nothing would detect her, which in her mind was good enough. Now all she had to do was keep the small shield up, and she'd be good to go. Of course, someone could catch her if she didn't move fast enough if they decided to come out. Still, her human nature made her curious about what was going on.

"…Hai, hai," a voice said, "I didn't believe it until I read their profiles, either."

"So…" another continued, "you're saying the heir to the Western Lands, and the descendant of the Shikon no Tama barer are both in the school this year?"

"Its hard to believe. We've always had them separately, and when they were here together… they were usually in different dorms." She heard the tapping of fingers on a table, as she neared. Her ear came as close to the door as it could, as she leaned toward the door, not wanting to get to close to the small crack. Light poured out of it and into the rest of the dormitory, and she was slightly glad that Sesshoumaru had used his youkai speed to leave her behind.

"I know, but they're both here this year," the first replied.

Shikon no Tama… she knew of that. She had been named after the original Shikon no Tama barer. The legend had been in her family for years, but why were they talking about it. It was supposed to be a family secret, not something the whole world knew about. It was said the Jewel of Four Souls disappeared along with Kagome, the first miko in their family line. She'd had one child, who was left all alone with another miko in the village she resided in, until that child had a child.

"Do you know which ones they are?"

"The heir to the Western Lands is supposed to have the family symbol on his forehead," another replied, "he shouldn't be hard to find. The descendant of the Shikon no Tama barer is said to be beautiful for a miko; by the name of Kagome. You should know her, you gave them their books and everything."

"Oh, the Higurashi girl," the second replied.

"Hai, that's her," came the reply. "The heir, you should know him as well."

"Oh, hai," came the second's reply, "a cold one that boy is."

Cold? The heir to the Western Lands was cold? Well, she could come up with a few people like that. Certainly the son of the great Inu, kind ruler, and inuyoukai who mated with a ningen woman, was not completely cold. Perhaps they just got it wrong.

Still, the heir to the West was inside the school, inside their dormitory. Her eyes went toward the boys' side, and frowned. The taiyoukai heir was somewhere inside there. Who was it, though?  _The symbol of the West… what is it, again? A… moon, right? A… ah… crescent moon. Hey, wait… no, couldn't be,_ Kagome shook that thought away. There was no way Sesshoumaru was the heir to the Western Lands. If he was, then his father had done a horrible job at raising him to someday take over his lands. The West needed a gentle, yet firm hand, but Sesshoumaru… he would rule using merely power. There was just no way he was the Western heir.

"Who'd think Ivy will put them with?" another asked.

"Donno, s'up to her." What did that mean?  _Oh, the whole partner thing, that's right._ Kagome nodded to herself, hoping that's what they meant; since there really was nothing else they could be talking about. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what they meant by the whole, 'put them with' thing, since that meant they were going to be placed with another student… like the older students.

"I guess," came the first, "but she must already have an idea. I can't help but think who it will be."

"I must agree with you there," another sighed, "However, we won't know until the time comes."

"Hey…" the voice was closer to her, "Did someone open the door more?"

"Iie," came many replies.

"Of course we didn't, baka," said one, "but that means…"

"Someone's listening to us," a youkai hissed.

"A student?" asked another.

"No student could be strong enough to place a barrier to hide themselves."

"That's not true, the heir could easily do it. So could a miko."

"He's right, someone must be listening to us."

Kagome stiffened. She felt them coming closer, and ducked behind one of the curtains before the door opened. She saw the light flood out over the curtain, and sucked in her breath so no youkai would hear her breathing. They might be able to hear her heart beating, but they probably wouldn't look for that. After they looked around, she heard them beginning to go back inside the room, but when she looked, she saw they'd left the door completely open. That meant she'd have to crawl to get to her side of the dormitory with the other girls, which meant they might hear the door open, which meant they might go inside before she could hope into bed. Hopefully, though, she'd get there before they did.

So… she began.

oOo

"Kagome, Kagome," Kirara's voice cut through her dreams. "You have to get up now Kagome."

"Five more minutes… mom," Kagome mumbled, rolling to her other side. It was then her annoying alarm clock went off, and she bolted up to see many of the girls' staring at her again. Reaching over, she turned off the stupid device, and looked up into Kirara's eyes to see the girl staring at her. Though she liked her, she glared a little before moving to get up.

Kirara blinked in surprise, before giggling, "Kagome. Um, did you sleep in your clothes?"

"What does it look like?" Kagome asked. She wrinkled her nose, moving toward her trunk. The plate around her neck was heavier then usual, and she cracked her neck to possibly make it feel lighter. However, it did nothing to help, even after she dressed into a dark purple outfit, which consisted of pants, and a shirt. Her green cape, which surprisingly went well with the purple, was placed on her head.

"Kagome," Kirara said, walking up to her as she began walking toward the door.

Turning to her, Kagome said, "Oh, yeah?"

"Here," Kirara said. She held out a journal, which had, ' _Miko of the Moon'_ written across the front.

Kagome blinked a few times, before saying, "Ahh?"

"Its my story, silly," Kirara said. "Remember? You said you'd like to read it. I was working on it some more last night. I hope you like it."

"Oh, right!" Kagome replied. "I'm sure I'll love it, Kirara. I won't start reading it until later, though, if you don't mind."

"That's fine," Kirara said, smiling brightly.

"Thanks, Kirara. I really don't have much time, since we do have classes and everything," Kagome sighed. She'd be happy when the week was over, since then they'd have the weekend off, even though… they'd have to stay in the school. Kind of a weird rule, but she wouldn't mind it, as long as Sesshoumaru stayed far away from her. Kouga Toji could keep his distance, as well, since she wasn't in the mood since yesterday for his antics.

Her holy power was itching to purify something. Well, not as bad as the day before, but she still wanted to hurt something. After what Sesshoumaru'd said about her voice – many times as he'd said it – she wanted to blast the nearest youkai. She held that feeling back, though, since Kirara wasn't a bad person. In fact, the girl was probably one of the sweetest she'd ever met.

"Neither do I, Kagome, but I make time," Kirara giggled.

Kagome blinked, before giggling herself. That was true, she could make time, herself, but she really didn't want to. If she made time that meant she had nothing to do, while if she didn't… well, then she  **would**  have something to do. She might not be able to do the things she wanted, but at least she'd be blocking out things that she didn't need at any moment in time… like Sesshoumaru.

"So…" Kagome said, wanting to change the subject. She looked down at the journal she now held, and blinked. "Hm… why'd you name it ' _Miko of the Moon'_?"

Kirara glanced down at the journal, before asking, "The story?"

"Yeah, why'd you pick it?" Kagome replied, lifting an eyebrow. It wasn't something she was really… worried about, but ningen curiousity switched to that once she didn't want to talk about 'making time', anymore.

They began moving toward the doors after Kagome was dressed. While they talked they walked through the currently opened doors, before walking down the stairs. There weren't many, so they found themselves in the main dorm room, before moving toward the doors to the corridor.

"Yes," Kirara heard. She didn't turn her head, now wanting them to know she was listening, but she heard the older students talking among themselves. "See, that's the Shikon Miko's descendant, there!" She saw the older student point toward them through the corner of her eye, and turned back to Kagome, still listening, yet continuing her conversation.

"You'll have to find out on your own," Kirara smiled.

"Really?" the boy asked.

"Yes," the girl replied. "She's said to be very powerful. I want you to stay away from her, ok, Devon?"

"Alright," the youkai boy replied.

"That's why I love you," the girl replied.

The boy's voice got lower, "I think someone's listening to us…"

The ningen girl in his lap perked up, before saying, "Who?"

"The girl with the descendant," the youkai boy replied. He turned his head to the side, "If she continues… I'll make her stop, ok."

"Ok," she replied.

"Oh, that's not fair, Kirara," broke her from the conversation. She nodded a little, as if agreeing with Kagome, and turned back to her. She would have liked to know what they knew about Kagome. She didn't know she was  **the**  descendant of  _the_  Kagome, the holder of the Shikon no Tama, and one of the greatest miko to ever walk on the land that made up Japan. Kagome, who lived around the Heian Period (794 - 1185), was said to have held the Shikon no Tama without selfishness, until her wish was made, though no one ever knew of the actual wish. No one knew what  _the_ Kagome wished for. The woman was said to have helped both ningen, youkai, and hanyou; she held kindness for every creature she passed; she did not feel that they were different, but merely creatures that needed each other to live.

 _The_ Kagome, holder of the Shikon no Tama, was said to have been the mother of another great miko: Midoriko. However, that was never true, for Midoriko was born long after the ningen miko, Kagome met her death while fighting along side her husband – they never knew if he was ningen, youkai, or hanyou, for it was only recorded that she had one.  _The_ Kagome was born during the Heian Period, while Midoriko, said to be even greater then Kagome, was born during the early years of the Edo Period (1600 – 1868). No one actually knew much about either mikos', but they did know that Kagome fought in a great battle to not only save ningen, but youkai, and hanyou, while Midoriko did almost the same thing. However, unlike Kagome, Midoriko did not have to fight a huge battle, but merely a battle where she was outnumbered, until finally she purified the youkai battling her… but suffered from a fatal wound, which ended her life.

However, Kagome did not die in her battle. She won, and died in a battle later, for her power had been sucked from her – according to history books she'd read – after fighting a void youkai a few hours before the next youkai attacked. Midoriko won, but in the end she lost. Midoriko was said to have done many great things during her time, to help all creatures, much like Kagome, but her first huge battle was more then she could take. She, however, managed to purify the evilness in most youkai, which Kagome had not done.

They were both said to be great.

They were also said to be mostly legend.

How could  _the_ Kagome be legend, though, if the descendant of the Great Miko Kagome was walking right beside her? Then again, anyone could have named their child Kagome. Maybe she really wasn't a descendant?  _I should ask her a question about the Shikon no Tama!_ Kirara thought,  _brilliant! Only youkai who were close to the miko Kagome, or a descendant of her would know about the Shikon's true powers. Only my family… and a few others probably remember it. Kagome, this Kagome, would know about the wish the Shikon could bring if the wish was unselfish, and the person only had a desire to do good,_ if  _she is a descendant. Then again, she might ask why I know… I'll think about it, and ask her on a later date… yeah, that sounds good!_

"Kirara?" Kagome said, waving her hand in front of the youkai's face, " _Kirara_?"

"Huh?" Kirara said. She looked up at Kagome, to find the girl holding her arm, leading her toward the Main Hall. Blushing a little, she turned her head away, wishing she'd paid more attention. She'd probably fallen down some of the stairs they had to go down to get to the Main Hall. At least she had Kagome to lead her there.

Kagome laughed a little, letting go of the youkai, "You ok, Kirara? You spaced out on me there."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kirara, mumbled, "I… was thinking, that's all."

"About?" Kagome said.

Kirara frowned, "About…"

" ** _KAGOME_**!"

Kagome cringed. There it was! That annoying voice she did not wish to hear today. She didn't even know what the ookami saw in her, but she did know that they were very loyal, and protective. Since he thought she wanted him, and he obviously liked her – for some reason she could not understand – he thought that she was  **his** woman.  **She was _not_  his woman**! She couldn't put it more bluntly than that. The guy just needed to learn this fact.

"Kagome, my dearest," Kouga yelled, rushing toward his woman. Right when he was about to sweep her into his arms… that stupid barrier was brought up. Kagome was glaring at him, her head turned to look at him as he slammed against the barrier. He went to claw at it, but Kagome and her friend were already moving away.

"Hey, wait for me, my love," Kouga called.

Kagome paid no attention, merely turning toward Kirara, and smirking, "Did you hear something, Kirara?"

Kirara caught on, saying, "Iie, I don't believe I did."

"Hm… could have sworn I did," Kagome said, tapping her chin lightly with a finger, "Oh, well. Must have been imaging it."

"Hai," Kirara replied, "you must have. I, too, thought I'd heard something for a moment, but it appears I'm wrong as well. Nothing to worry about, Kagome."

 _I think I've been tricked,_ Kouga thought, everything of the last couple times he'd tried to get close to her swimming in his mind. Why would such a high-ranking being lie to him, though? The inu had said the girl was his friend, and she liked him. Maybe… she was just so shy she didn't want to admit it! Maybe she just didn't want to go around telling people she was in love with an ookami! Perhaps all he had to do was prove to her that he loved her, and she wouldn't be as shy anymore. The plan that began forming in his mind was brilliant. He'd have to give her a couple days to rest from this, but he could wait until the final hour when she jumped into his arms and said, "Oh, Kouga, I love you. Make me your mate!" Yes, he could wait.

Still, the plan was pushed aside for a moment when she began playing the whole ignoring the ookami game. That just seemed to pop his ego, since she was acting like she wanted nothing to do with him. Which, in the back of his mind, brought up the question of:  _was I tricked?_ If that inu had lied to him, though, he'd rip out his heart, liver, and stomach, before feeding them to him. That would teach the inu not to mess with an ookami's heart. Loyalty, and possessiveness were not two things you wanted to play with when it came to wolves.

"I hope not," Kagome, sighed, "I don't want everyone to think I'm going crazy!"

Kirara nodded, smirking, "Me, too."

"Well, it's a good thing we aren't, then isn't it, Kirara?" Kagome asked. She smiled; yes, this was one of the funniest things she'd done, since… well, since summer started. Sure, her and Sango would pull a few pranks now and then – she felt guilty for doing them, still – on a few people, but even that seemed to rank underneath ignoring Kouga the best you could. That really wasn't that hard, except when he was nearly in your face.

"Hai, hai, a very good thing," Kirara giggled. Strange that this little miko brought her out of her shyness. Sure, she'd still be shy when it came to a lot of things, but Kagome was getting her to speak out loud more then she'd spoken in the last… year, other then to her mother.

Sighing Kouga walked passed her, making Kagome smirk at her accomplishment. Maybe now the ookami would leave her alone. Then she might be able to sleep at night without thinking he might pop up the next day going, "There's my woman!" God, she hated possessive men. Sure, youkai  **mates'**  should be possessive, but that was only to protect the male or female they were mated to from being sexually harassed.

"Oh, look, Kirara, its Kouga," Kagome said. She saw the ookami tense in excitement, before saying, "Do you think he was saying something? Maybe that's what we heard."

Kirara wrinkled her nose, "Iie, couldn't have been. The voice I heard was lovely, not annoying."

"True," Kagome sighed, "I wish I knew who it was."

Kirara nodded.

oOo

 _Great…_ Kagome thought, looking around the Main Hall. Sure, she could sit anywhere, but she wanted to sit close to Kirara, who'd decided to sit very close to Sesshoumaru. The only seat close to her was right next to the currently smirking inuyoukai. This, too, did not just seem like her day.

Sitting down as far away from him as she could, she leaned over the table, and said, "Couldn't you have sit somewhere else, Kirara?"

"You know, miko," Sesshoumaru said, "youkai have very good hearing. Being an inu, I can easily hear everything you are saying."

Turning toward him, Kagome said, "Exactly why I'm not whispering, youkai." Why was this youkai always trying to get on her nerves? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? Was this youkai, like, programmed to annoy the hell out of her? Yeah, maybe he was some insane mutation that had escaped from the laboratory and decided to annoy the first person that talked to him.

"You should not speak that way to someone who is higher in rank than yourself, miko," he growled.

She had the sudden urge to ask him what the hell he was talking about. However, her eyes caught sight of a curved blue symbol of his forehead. She'd never really looked hard enough to see it before, but now that she had, she was overly curious.

Kirara watched as Kagome leaned forward wondering, while her eyes widened, what the girl was doing. Surely she wouldn't think of kissing the guy, since she'd seen how the inuyoukai treated Kagome. Unless, suddenly, last night they'd fallen in love or something; except she didn't believe that had happened, either, since Kagome didn't seem like the type to suddenly fall head over heels.

"Miko," he warned. She was to close, which was being to not only make him curious as to what she was doing, but also to what she was looking for. Surely the miko didn't think to seduce him. She… didn't seem like the type. Still, with his growl of warning, he felt her hand touch his forehead, before pulling up his bangs. What in the hell was she doing?

There it was! Her eyes widened, as she inspected the crescent moon closely, her mouth opening in shock. All this time, she'd been… speaking so rudely to the heir to the Western Lands! She was going to be dead if his father found out, or even her mother. It was not considered exactly pleasant to yell, hiss, and tell the taiyoukai heir to fuck off.

 _Man, just my luck,_ Kagome sighed. She dipped her head, before saying, "Gomen, taiyoukai-sama."

Now that was something. She'd finally realized that he was higher in status, and was showing respect. He could get used to that, since miko who lived in the Western Territories usually came to the House of the Moon when the came of age. Only for a year, but so his father could get a feel for how strong the miko was, and to see if it would be best to keep her under his care. Of course, they hadn't actually performed such an act in over,  _possibly,_ a hundred years, according to his father. However, he was always told that if a huge amount of spiritual energy suddenly swept over the lands then it was probably best to look for the miko – even in these modern times.

"You are forgiven, miko," he smirked, "however, refrain from touching this Sesshoumaru again."

Though he saw her eyebrow twitch a little, she bowed her head, saying, "Hai, taiyoukai-sama." At least now she was showing him the respect he deserved. Maybe he could get her to do something to prove she was loyal to his father, though. Perhaps he could make her carry his bag, or something. Seemed a little childish, though. Something more drastic would be needed.

His smirk got larger, "What would you be willing to do to prove that you are truly sorry, however, miko?"

Kagome gulped, "What would I need to do, taiyoukai-sama?"

"Prove you are loyal to my father, miko, by doing as this Sesshoumaru asks." God this was fun. He might be able to make the miko do anything he wished. After all the hell she'd put him through since he met her on the bus, though, she deserved anything he dished out at her.

"What do you wish of me, taiyoukai-sama?" Kagome asked, gritting her teeth together. Though she didn't wish it, this was the taiyoukai heir, she had to do as he asked or shame her family name.

Kirara frowned. She hadn't known the taiyoukai heir was at this school. Hell, she hadn't expected him to be in Art, either. Still, she dipped her head as Kagome had done, showing her respect to the heir of the Western Lands.

"Hm…" a simple question. Yet, what did he want from her? She could be great help, considering what he wanted from her. Or, she could just be a major annoyance. Oh, he knew, "I want you to keep Kagura at a distance from me."

"Kagura?" Kagome blinked. Why would he want that? The heir to the Western Lands could have anything from her, yet he wanted her to use her holy barrier to keep a youkai female away from his person. Hell, the heir to any current taiyoukai could merely come into your home, and ask to bed any virgin women, and the mother would have to give up her child for his pleasure.

"Hai, miko," he replied, "Kagura."

"Very well, taiyoukai-sama," she replied, bowing her head.

It must have been destiny that only a few moments later Kagura's voice was heard. Kagome, who'd decided she wasn't hungry, turned her head when she heard Kagura yell out, "Sesshy! Oh, there you are! Hm… hanging out with a ningen miko, Sesshy; how low can you get?"

Hearing Sesshoumaru growl in annoyance, she noticed he was waiting for her to make Kagura go away. Though she was supposed to apologize for knocking her down the hell she decided to obey the assignment she'd been given. It was what her mother would have wanted her to do. Gritting her teeth together, since she really didn't want to be controlled by a person she hated, she placed the barrier around them, stopping only Kagura from getting close. Anyone else would be able to get in or out, however.

"Sesshy, are you—Oww, what is this?" Kagura tapped her barrier, which caused Kagome to spread it out more by making it expand. With the barrier bigger, Kagura was pushed back until she was at a greater distance from them.

Sesshoumaru smirked, "Very good, miko."

God, she just hoped she didn't have to do this for long. She didn't know how long she could put up with being Sesshoumaru's bodyguard when it came to Kagura. Besides, being loyal and respectful had nothing to do with listening to orders, so why did she have to do this in the first place? Sesshoumaru wasn't very talkative, she knew that, so she also knew she wasn't going to get any answers out of him. Still, if she had to do this for too long, then she was going to end up hurting the taiyoukai heir, which if he ever contacted his father could put her into a binding contract with him… she'd be his slave.

She'd make sure that didn't happen, though.


	8. Miko of the Moon, Introduction

"Come miko," Sesshoumaru smirked, watching as the miko concentrated on keeping his bag above the ground. He'd asked her to carry it, though it was childish and he could easily do it himself, but her small, solid barrier kept it off the ground, and moving toward their next classroom. Besides, his nose wasn't offended by the many different smells while she was nearby, but he told himself it was merely the power she radiated that tickled his nose.

Plus, she was proving that she was loyal to his father. She shouldn't be ashamed to do anything he asked, whether it was childish, or not. Once she proved that she'd do anything he or his father asked, then he would allow her to stop. Of course, that could be tomorrow, next month, three years from then. Who knew, maybe he could order her to drop out of school. Then she'd no longer be in his hair, and she'd no longer be a problem… well, maybe for some ningen school, but she would be a long way away from him.

Kagome nodded, focusing her power on keeping the bag up off the ground. She didn't know what was in it, but it was heavier then hers was. She'd tried to carry it on her shoulder when he first asked her, but it was just too heavy. It was like it got heavier once it was dropped into her hands. Whatever reason, she was now wearing down her energy to hold it up over the ground high enough to be at her breast.

She actually didn't want to do this, but she knew that her mother would expect her to follow the orders of any taiyoukai. Her mother was into the old traditions more then the newer ones. In fact, her mother would probably send her off if a taiyoukai asked to assess her current power level. Then she'd probably allow them to keep her inside the castle until they were sure she could keep it under control. Of course, the Lord of the West had not called for her yet, so she had nothing to worry about at the moment. Besides, she was currently inside a school where they could not get at her.

"Hai, taiyoukai-sama," she mumbled, sensing Kirara close by. She should have been paying attention to other things as well, but if she did she'd probably drop the barrier by accident. Not that she would have meant to, but Sesshoumaru would probably get angry with her for dropping his possessions onto the ground.

Then again, he might just lean over and pick up his things without saying anything. From what she knew about the man, though, he'd probably make her do it. He was such a jerk that he'd probably make her kiss his shoes afterward. She was starting to see the  _light_ , which meant his status was greatly decreasing. Sure, he was the heir to the Western Lands, and would one day rule as his father, Inu, was doing now. However, there was a line that even the Great Dog General wouldn't cross with a woman – that she was sure of – and if Sesshoumaru placed one foot over it on this whole  _loyal to his father_ trip, then she was going to drop everything, and march the other way! Who cared if he got angry about it, he wasn't going to make her do anything she wasn't capable, or…  **wouldn't**  give for him.

Yes, the line was going to be a very good thing in this case. If she could ever get him to go over the line, since he was really wearing down her ki with the barriers he wanted, then she wouldn't have to do any of this anymore… especially the barriers, since he wanted so much. One was meant to keep Kagura away, which meant she had to focus on Kagura's aura, thus making the barrier only repel the bitch and no one else. One to keep his bag going forward toward their first class, when she knew he could easily carry it himself. Her own to keep Kouga away, since she'd found Sesshoumaru got rather annoyed by the ookami's presence. Then, the one she'd brought up to blast Inuyasha back earlier – of course, that one had needed more energy, so she had to drop the others, which allowed Kagura to come forward - the wind youkai had been let out of the medical wing, but still held a huge bruise beginning to form on her side -, along with Kouga, which, in the end, made Sesshoumaru a mad inuyoukai prince.

She would have laughed at him if he weren't royalty…

To bad he  _was_!

Of course, she would have laughed before Sesshoumaru hissed into her ear to place the barrier up, again! Apparently, the taiyoukai heir hadn't been happy about the fact that Kagura was trying to attach herself to his side. Sure, she could understand that, since she had currently had the same problem with Kouga. The damn wolf wouldn't leave her alone. Just as Kagura tried to get the attention of Sesshoumaru, Kouga continued to try and get her to date him…

They were pretty much in the same boat. As much as she hated to admit it, they might actually benefit if they were to help each other. However, there was a big word in there:  ** _if_**. She could actually laugh at that idea, as well.

Like the heir of the Western Lands would ever help a little ningen miko like her. Hell, he probably didn't even care she existed until she sat with him on the bus. It was such a shame that there hadn't been more open seats, but she had this sinking feeling that the bus completely full each year. That was probably why they only picked certain students of certain knowledge and abilities. So the buses would be completely full after the students who'd graduated left to join the real world… or maybe they were just paranoid that way. Who really knew except them, right?

Sesshoumaru continued forward at his steady pace, never once looking back to make sure the miko was following him. Kagome could find her own way, so why should he bother to make sure she made it there. Besides, whether or not she made it on time didn't really bother him, since he was currently carrying four, sharpened to perfection, pencils in his cargo pants. That, besides maybe some paper he could borrow, was all he needed if they were given another assignment… and he didn't have to turn in his English homework until fourth period.

Moving quickly, he told himself he wanted to get to class before the bell rang, rather then wait for a little ningen to hurry to his side. Actually, he was beginning to think his plan was going to backfire on him, since in order for her barrier to truly work she needed to be close by. However, that meant he needed an everlasting miko sidekick. No, as soon as she was so emotionally challenged – what the hell was he talking about, she already  **was**  – she couldn't take it anymore and dropped out, then he'd be free of her. He could always produce his own barrier… though, it wouldn't move like hers did, but stay there until his acid was completely dissolved. Hers, for the moment, was a better choice between the two.

 _I might have to keep her until after Kagura takes a hint._ He sighed through his nose, wondering what had brought the wind demoness into his life anyway. It must have been his looks, or the power he kept in check most of the time… or, simply the fact that she'd known he was the heir to the Western Lands. Which had been strange, since he'd never met her at any youkai social gatherings, or even parties that his father used to drag him to. It was like she just puffed into the area, which wasn't exactly unheard of in this modern age.

_She's more… Gods, what the hell is she?_

Ok, he couldn't come up with a word at the moment, but he would, and when he did, then he'd convince himself this was the only way. It was like he was looking at a scale with the miko on one side, and Kagura on the other, blinking, "Choose; Choose; Choose." If he ever had to choose between them… hm… actually, why choose? He could always just cut their heads off in a matter of moments and be done with the entire matter.

Smirking, Sesshoumaru marched forward at a faster pace, hearing the miko's shoes pick up speed on the marble floor. She was obviously trying to keep up with him, probably having just noticed that he was way ahead of her. Well, she might be human, but like most mammals she had legs, she could use them. Around him she might have to use them a little bit more then she bargained for, but it wasn't like he cared. She could be in a wheelchair, and he'd still make her use whatever means to keep up with him. He wasn't a packrat, nor was he some type of horse; he wasn't going to carry some formally disrespectful miko who was very capable of walking, at least, for the moment.

As long as she could, he would be of no assistance to her pitiful ningen body. Besides, he was a prince among youkai, he should not be seen touching such mortal flesh, nor should anyone try to make him do as such - alright, he, too, was mortal, but the miko was more mortal then him. No one, especially, would ever make him touch the flesh of his races once dire enemy. In fact, there were still mikos' who went out and killed youkai just for the fun of the hunt… this caused youkai to fight back. Perhaps touching, or even joining with the miko would be a good thing, since he would not only get a rut out of it – not that he'd had many in his few years -, but he'd also get to learn more about her powers if he linked minds with her in her moment of passion.

 _That is the most vial thing this Sesshoumaru has ever thought of actually doing,_ he scoffed. Why the hell did he think of it in the first place? Sure, the miko was good enough looking for a ningen miko, but she was  _obviously_ **not** youkai. He was not going to make the same mistake his father did and mate a ningen, thus creating a hanyou within time. True, ningen produced children like it was going out of style, but that was only because of their short life spans. Youkai, though they have lesser amounts of children, have longer lives.

Not only did youkai  _not_  have to go through training huge amounts of children at one time, they were obviously the higher species.

Giving off a soft growl, Sesshoumaru continued forward, feeling the miko's aura coming closer, while her shoes clicked repeatedly over the marble to keep up with his speed. Hell, he wasn't even sure how fast he was going, but he soon found himself in front of the History door, before stepping inside. He knew the miko was following him, like a dark shadow that just wouldn't go away - even in the dark -, as he moved over toward his seat. When he turned his head, his bag was set onto the table, before the currently sweating miko sat down, placing her forehead on the smooth surface.

Kagome sighed in relief, hoping that the class got over quickly. However, when she looked up she was shocked to find that it was not Ms. Kumo standing in front of the class, but a very annoyed looking Professor Katana. Wondering what was going on, she raised her head a little to watch as the demoness continued to file her claws into sharp little points, which could probably slice through flesh with ease.

Glancing around the classroom, Katana felt the need to sneer at it. She was used to the Gym more then a classroom, and she liked the space more then this small place. Giving a small sigh, she said, "I'm sure you're all wondering why I'm here, instead of Ms. Kumo, correct?"

Most of the Art students nodded, before she continued, "It would seem that your History teacher has caught a youkai cold… One of the older students – youkai – came to speak with her yesterday, and was carrying it. He, apparently, passed it onto Ms. Kumo. The room since then has been cleaned of the virus, and Ms. Kumo should be back in about three days according to Yumi – she's works in the medical wing… well, technically it's not a wing, but one of the towers. Anyway, Yumi said that Ms. Kumo should be up and about as soon as the anti-virus she gave her kicks in.

"Until then, Professor Ivy shall be in the Training room, while I'm stuck in here. She seems to think that because I'm over six hundred years old I'm best suited to teach this class, the old jackal," Katana gave another sigh, "For today, however, I do not have a schedule planned out, so you may do whatever you like." Stopping for a moment, she looked up with a fire in her eyes, "Scratch that, you may talk to someone around you, finish an assignment for another class, or you may find something productive. Anything else  **will** , more in likely, result in detention."

Smiling, Kagome lifted her head higher, before reaching for her bag. Within moments she pulled out ' _Miko of the Moon_ ' and turned to look for Kirara. When she caught the red-eyed youkai's attention, she lifted the journal a little and tilted it back and forth. Seeing Kirara smile, Kagome turned away, and opened the booklet. She was a little curious about how Kirara got the curved, golden titled onto the front, since it was actually covered in leather, but decided to ask her later, and continued to go through to the dedication page.

' _Dedicated to my newest friend, Kagome, who gave me the idea for the main character who's name is the same as my dearest friend._

 _And to the taiyoukai heir, Sesshoumaru-sama, who gave me the idea for Hikaru… though, they seem like miles apart in attitude._ '

 _So, the youkai who was inspired by Sesshoumaru shall be called Hikaru… I'll have to remember that,_ Kagome thought. Rolling her eyes, she added,  _just to see how different they are, of course._  However, she quickly got off that topic, and continued forward, finding the page where Kirara was marking her chapters – where they began and the titles. Reading through them quickly, she turned the page again to find the same curved style the cover title was made with reading,  _Prologue_.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome hoped that Kirara was a good writer, since she didn't want to be reading crap, and then later having to lie, saying she liked it. Hopefully, just hopefully, Kirara could write like any other fantasy writer, and weaved her into the story with ease. Letting the breath out, Kagome glanced down at the paper, and began to read.

║ _The dusking sun began to sink beneath the hills, just as a lone figure moved through the forest of an ancient age. The soft winds lifted the smaller leaves into the air - they reached out, as if to touch the moving figure. Though many creatures were scurrying around the figures feet, this person seemed not to notice, only heading straight ahead. It didn't even seem to notice that the sky continued to darken, until finally the sun sank completely away, leaving the person under the night sky, millions of stars twinkling happily._

_The air quickly shifted to a cooler temperature, the once soft winds beginning to pick up in the night. Though these winds picked up the long flowing cloak surrounding the figures form, the person inside still did not seem to notice anything. The only signs of life coming from it was the slight turning of the hooded head, the moving of their feet while they continued forward, and the puffs of air that began forming in the suddenly cold night air. In these ancient times, however, it was not strange for the air to change from warm and sunny, to cold and dark just as the sun disappeared, so it did not disturb this lone figure._

_A small kitsune, covered by the branches and leaves of a bush, huddled deeper into itself, feeling the slight popping feeling in the air around it. Its white tipped tail lifted over its nose, so only its glowing eyes could be seen in the darkness of the night. This small kitsune watched the figure move forward, its womanly looking figure stopping for only a moment, before a pale, slender arm, its hand covered in a black cloth, came up in front of the woman, showing off a glowing stone. The kitsune watched as the blue light shifted to a deep green, it dimmed back into the blue color, before the woman continued forward._

_Another creature, much larger then the kitsune, hid among the trees. The woman knew this, for she could feel its demonic energy pressing against her miko one. She was going to see another more important person, though, and had no time to extinguish of the youkai. She knew that it was but a young tori youkai, and merely wanted to see if it could get ahold of the ancient stone she held – a stone that could allow you to live forever, much like a kami. However, it would never know that it was merely a fake, a copy of the actual stone._

_Hers was merely a device to find her companion, who held the actual stone. The Everlasting Life Stone, however, was dormant in power – long ago having been locked away. Every generation it was handed down to a stronger miko, who could protect it from being stolen by any being able to unlock its eternal powers. Especially from those who would try and use its powers, only to find their mind stolen from them, until the stone took over the body and lived as it wanted you to. That was the reason why their ancestor locked it away in the first place… or at least that was what she believed._

_The stone, after all, was supposed to be one of the most evil things on the planet. That was what they'd been told since they were but young ones, and that was what they truly believed. Perhaps it was only to get another miko to protect the stone, or perhaps it was merely myth, but they were not willing to take the chance that it might be true._

_From her copy of the original stone, however, she knew she was still traveling in the right direction. Its deep green color showed her that. However, what others could not see was the current, almost invisible, golden tread that connected the stone within her hand to the original. Only she could see this, though, because she held the copy within her hand. In the end, however, this was a good thing, since her near ready to birth sister did not need youkai knocking on their door._

_This forest was the only reason she needed the stone. She could easily get lost, which was one of the many reasons they'd used their miko abilities to design another stone. True, it would not work the same way the original did, but since they'd used an ancient magic to structure together a location spell it would always find the original, no matter where her sister went._

_It was their only true connection to each other._

_They were not related by blood, but were given to the same temple around the same age. Though they might not be related to each other by blood, however, they still considered each other sisters. That was why she would help her sister during her time of need. After all, her dear sister Sakura was carrying a youkai's child. A hanyou. A bastard child who would never be accepted by anyone but her, Sakura, and possibly its father… if the youkai male hadn't died by now. After all, the last time they'd caught wind of his name, he was said to have been in a massive battle and was wounded from it. For all they knew, its father could be dead, meaning this new miko hanyou – if it managed to survive – would have an impact on the world. If youkai hated both miko, and hanyou, then they would try to kill this poor bastard child more often then they did normal miko and hanyou._ ║

Stopping for a moment, Kagome blinked in surprise. She was a hanyou? Well, she wasn't a hanyou, but the character Kirara had created – this miko of the moon – was hanyou. Plus, why was she considered the miko of the moon? Was there some catch to that? Maybe she was the brightest star to her father, so he called her the miko of the moon. Or, maybe Hikaru, the youkai possibly a bit similar to Sesshoumaru in appearance, fell in love… maybe she was considered miko of the moon because of that. Or… well, it could be because she was hanyou that she was called miko of the moon. For whatever reason, though, she was sure she'd find out soon enough.

Sesshoumaru, sitting at her side, placed his elbow on the table, glancing around the room in boredom. There was no one he wanted to talk to, at least no one around him. He would have picked on Inuyasha if they were in the same classroom, but his younger, hanyou brother was in some other class. Then, the only person worth talking to because of her power level was happy over something. Really, he didn't know why the miko's aura suddenly went from tired to giddy. Why the hell she suddenly changed to that was beyond him?

Turning his head, he watched as the miko turned the page of a booklet. The demonic energy coming off of it was barely detectable. The demonic booklet would look like a regular leather bond journal or dairy to someone else, but he could tell that it was made for a youkai writer. It was so they could easily transfer information into text form. However, whoever's it was, judging by the print inside of it, was writing a story, instead of important legal information, like his father did. The person might have been taking notes, or something and began thinking of how to put the story together. Then, later on, when they wanted to finally publish it, they would write it down into another journal, or onto a computer before printing. As they did, the booklet would begin to go blank – of course, it only turned completely blank when the author finally rewrote the final word. After that, they could think of another story. It was much easier then actually spending all their time trying to re-edit something over and over again.

Leaning over her shoulder a bit, he read a single passage, before scoffing at it. So, whatever she was reading about, the woman was going to give birth to a very rare miko hanyou. Yes, what a wonderful story. However, if you actually pay attention, you'd notice the sarcasm in his thoughts, since he really didn't approve of miko hanyou's. Hell, even a houshi hanyou was bad. They not only got the strength of a youkai, but were also equipped with the power of a miko/houshi. Those were the worst kind… even his brother was above one of  _those_.

That was saying something.

Still, the silence of the miko was disturbing to him for some reason. He actually didn't mind hearing her speak, since her voice was soft and light… It reminded him of his own mother's. The demoness who'd gave birth to him, who'd raised him until he was so many years of age. He did not like to think of his mother, though. That was the main reason he scolded the miko for talking. Her voice reminded him too much of his mother's sweet and innocent one. For a demoness she shouldn't have been.

He was positive that all females became that way when they gave birth to their own pups, though. It was probably just their instincts to give off soft and sweet noises, trying to comfort them while making them feel wanted, and loved. It was just a female thing. True, males might also become gentle around their young, but he was positive they didn't turn into something like the mother. In the modern age, though… they might.

Turning his head, Sesshoumaru found the boy named Jakotsu staring at him. He hadn't realized that he sat so close to him, but the boy continued to stare at his face, and his hair. Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru let loose a small, threatening growl, trying to get the boy to understand one little detail: he, Sesshoumaru Taisho, did not like men. However, he was curious as to why the ningen boy had the markings under his eyes, since they seemed like a youkai's. Perhaps they were tattoos? Whatever they were, the boy had best leave him alone.

Kagome continued to read, filling the words leak into her brain as she passed them. She hadn't liked the way Kirara introduced the first character, since it was… no, there was not enough information, but she liked the story thus far. She just… well, she liked it when they told you it was a woman by the name… her own opinion, though, so no one really had to listen to that. Still, she continued to read, even though she knew the clock was still ticking, and she wouldn't be able to read the entire thing in one setting. She wished she could, though.

║ _Letting out another puff of air, the woman turned her eyes to the dark forest before her. It did not bother her in the least that she was walking through youkai infested territory, nor that the current lord of the lands hated their race beyond compare. True, he allowed ningen to live on the land, but if they reported a youkai attack, or came near his large castle, seen from anywhere on his borders, they were ignored, or killed. It was the reason why they were far from the castle; close enough to see it, but far enough that he would not be able to tell they were even there. Even he would come for the stone, and they would be forced to kill him, thus taking over the lands – though small – that he controlled. They did not want that._

_Blinking against the darkness of the forest, she turned her head to the side, before sighing in frustration. True, the device to find the original stone was a good one, but she had to continue replenishing the spell. The golden line showing her the direction was faded, and nearly gone. She would not find the hut they were using like this; at least not in time._

_Bringing her hand up, she mumbled the ancient spell, allowing her holy energy to flood into the stone. The faded tread strengthened, becoming bright and solid. The stone within her hand flashed a brilliant green from the power she pushed inside, before settling into a light blue. With her spell done, the woman gripped the side of her cloak, lifting it off the ground to show off a portion of her long leg, before taking off into a jog. As long as her energy continued to flood into the stone within her hand the tread binding the two stones would continue to stay solid, instead of fading into an almost invisible light._

_From her years of training she ran at almost youkai speed, her muscular legs pumping faster toward her destination. The cloak around her billowed, catching in the wind, slowing her a bit. However, the woman did not bother with it, merely continuing forward at a speed that surpassed even the fastest runner at the temple they once resided in. It was a great feat for them, but at the moment she was not concerned with her ability, but with her sister._

_The darkness of the night opened for a moment, showing her the hut in the light of the moon. However, once those few moments passed, the clouds covered the moon once more, hiding the hut from her sight. It was strange that only the moon would be covered on this night, for if you looked toward the sky you'd see millions of stars twinkling outside of where the clouds were currently located. They barely seemed to move, as if the whole world had stopped in time for her to catch up with it._

_Her eyes caught sight of the small burning candle she'd left in the window seal for Sakura, hoping her sister would not give birth until she returned. After all, the hidden bag held the things she would need for the birthing. Sakura had never been one to wait, though, and she was positive her child would be similar. After all, she'd been told by the head monk many things about Sakura's family – poor as they had been -, and quick birthing was one of them._

_She also saw the lake just beyond the hut, its large smooth surface spread out for a great distance. It was called Star Lake, for on any beautiful night, where the stars could easily be seen, you could see them all twinkling on the water - reflection to the beauty of the night. The lake had been their small paradise when they were younger, since the temple was surprisingly closer then she'd ever thought. It had expanded since the last time they'd seen it, and was now within a good walking distance of Star Lake._

_Her feet carried her faster when she heard the almost silent scream of her miko sister. Upon it was the lowest sentence she'd ever heard Sakura mutter, "Rena, please… hurry…" Apparently she'd been correct, her sister could not have waited and began the birthing process by herself._

_Rena's hood fell from her head, showing off her battle scars from years of fighting youkai. However, the long scar from the top of her nose, over her still useable left eye and down onto her collarbone in a very straight line, was only a way of showing others that she did not back down, but continued to fight when she needed to. It was merely a minor thing, however. She'd had worse wounds over the years, but they healed, leaving only softly fainted scars in their wake._

_Her long white hair, caused from battling with a dark miko who managed to curse her beauty, had been pulled into a loose bundle inside the hood, but as it fell away the lengthy strands began flowing behind her. They were held by a single ribbon, which only held the strands from falling into a wider expanse. The white seemed to glow in the night, as she stopped at the huts door, rapping on the wood to tell her pregnant sister she was not a youkai, thus she had nothing to fear._

_Moving aside the bead covering, Rena stepped inside, to find her sister had propped herself up onto the pillows she'd left around the futon. Her near black eyes took in the way her sister reached out for her, her healthy skin giving off the faint red glow of the candlelight. Searching with her eyes, as she reached inside her cloak to grab the bag, Rena took in her sister's grayish purple eyes, her midnight black hair, and her slender form. However, Sakura's condition was more important then her sweaty appearance, which was what set her to work instantly._

_oOo_

" _Push, Sakura," Rena growled, "the head is nearly out." She pressed down on her sister's stomach, trying to help her push the child from her wound. Already she could make out the puppy-dog ears resting gently against the child's head of black hair, looking as if they'd been folded against the soft skull by her mother's birthing fluids. However, when she looked close enough, she could tell the child had tilted them backward, as if trying to ease her mother's labor._

_Sakura tried to prop herself higher, pain coursing through her body. The tea mixture, made from herbs the father was supposed to track down, helped a bit, since Rena had continued to shove it down her throat as she had been told. However, it tasted horrible, and she was glad her sister was more interested in the child's well being then her stomach. The tea, however, was supposed to ease the birth of an inu-hanyou; though she doubted it helped any mother at all from the pain she was experiencing._

_Kami, why did she rut with a youkai in the first place?_

_It was a question she often asked herself, but for now she would not be able to answer, for she was trying to push the babe from within her. She could feel the pain coursing from within her body to her limps, making her exhausted, even though she continued to try._

" _Nearly there, Sakura. Come on, you can do it," Rena said. She watched as Sakura pushed again, blood, birthing fluids, and a bit more of the large hanyou child being pushed from her body. Reaching forward, Rena grabbed the child by its arm, feeling it squirm under her hands, she pulled gently, trying to help Sakura in her time of need. Even with all the extra birthing things she'd gotten Sakura wasn't doing well, for she'd been too far along when she arrived to take most of it._

_Pushing once more, Sakura felt her life give way, the stone hidden within the robes she wore pulsed. It began sucking the extra amount she gave to stay in the world, to give her child a chance. However, her strength was leaving her, and darkness was beginning to form at the corners of her eyes._

" _That's it, Sakura," Rena cheered, smiling. The hanyou child slide from her sister's tired body, and she moved quickly to wrap it inside a warm cloth as it gave a piercing cry. As she began washing the child, she took in that it was a girl hanyou, who gave off the slightest bit of miko energy, while her demonic was great. The truth was, the young hanyou looked more youkai then anything… except for those adorable ears still folded against the top of her head._

" _Sakura," she whispered, "it's a girl."_

" _Kagome," Sakura breathed, feeling the stone continue to drain her. She opened her eyes, looking at the young hanyou Rena was holding, "Her name… Kagome…" With that she closed her eyes, the stone rolling from the inside of her robes and onto the floor. She felt her life slip from her, quickly giving way to the darkness surrounding her aura._

" _Sakura?" Rena asked, turning her eyes toward where her sister lay. However, when she looked into the quickly dulling eyes, she widened her own, her mouth forming a silent scream. "Sakura!" she continued to call out more urgent then before, knowing her sister's soul was slipping into the afterlife._

_However, no matter how many times she called out to her, Sakura's head tilted to the side to show the now burning mark on her mark. It blazed brightly, and Rena knew that soon the inuyoukai who impregnated her would be there. If he were still alive he would come looking for his dying mate, his true mate, his marked mate. She hadn't known it'd been there._

_Looking at the child in her arms, she knew the inu-hanyou would not open her eyes for the next three days. Pulling her closer to her breast, she pictured the black haired inuyoukai her sister had become infatuated with. His light blue eyes blazed with fire within her mind, showing her the passion for fighting… and Sakura that he'd shown. However, she would not allow him to raise this child! He would only teach her how to become a cold-hearted bastard like he was. No, she needed a caring hand, one who could take care of her, while she taught her about the near dormant miko powers she contained within her body._

_No, Inuka would not be able to raise this hanyou. True, he would know merely from the condition of her sister's body that she had given birth, but he would not know if the child was still living. Only if he'd been here to perform the ancient bonding ceremony would he know. He was not, however, much to his loss._

_She did not wish to leave her sister here like this, but she knew she must leave soon, or face an inuyoukai who would kill her, take the child, and raise her as a spoiled, cold-hearted princess, or that is what she would seem like, even though she'd be nothing more then a hidden hanyou in a lower class youkai world. When Inuka arrived, he would not find Kagome… he would only find his dead mate… her sister who'd passed away to give birth to a new generation._

_Setting the babe down for a moment, Rena began gathering the things they would need when she found the Everlasting Life Stone. It was dulled still, but its power had broken through a bit… probably why her sister had died. However, the glow was connected to a single glowing tread… one that led straight to where the young inu-hanyou lay, currently dreaming in her tired sleep._

_Gulping, frightened of the worsening situation, Rena grabbed the stone with her sleeve, placing it inside the bag she was using. Afterward she moved to the child's side, gazing down at her sister's lifeless body for a moment. Dipping her head in farewell, Rena whispered a silent pray, before moving out into the night, the inu-hanyou snuggled deep into her breast. Within moments she disappeared into the darkness of the night, deeper into the forest where others would not be able to track her, or find her unless she wished to be found._

_It was necessary, however, for at any moment Inuka could show up at the scene. His mark was probably burning like the pits of hell, telling him his mate had died for some unknown reason. When he found out it was from giving birth he would feel guilt for not being there when she needed him, but he was a smart youkai that one. He would soon figure out that his child's body was nowhere to be seen. He would soon go looking for it._

_Would he find his child?_

_No, Rena would make sure of that._ ║

There the prologue ended; Kagome bit the inside of her lip. She wanted to read more, just like whenever she'd found a really good book that she just couldn't put down. It really wasn't that easy to stop, but she knew that she should. Breathing deeply, however, she tapped her foot, glancing around. She didn't really know how long it'd been, so… it wasn't going to hurt to read more was it? No, of course not.

Licking her lip, Kagome looked down at the page, seeing the title but not really paying any attention to it. All she read was,  _Chapter 1_ , and moved on, not caring what it was called.

Still, it was so cool that she was a inu-hanyou; her father's name was Inuka, a youkai who merely wanted to fight and be with his mate; her mother, unfortunately, died in the process of giving her birth, leaving her to the hands over her  _aunt_. The strong miko, from what she'd concluded, would probably be a good person to raise her, so it should be good from here on out.

Sighing, she heard Sesshoumaru's voice pierce through the daze she'd recreated, "What are you reading, miko?"

Lifting her head, Kagome blinked in surprise, "Huh?" However, seeing Sesshoumaru scowl, she opened her mouth to say, "Oh, oh… um… its called, ' _Miko of the Moon_ '. Kirara's writing it."

Sesshoumaru gazed at her for a moment, before nodding in acceptance. He'd heard of the Nemo family. Great fantasy writers throughout their line. Kirara Nemo shouldn't be any different. However, why she was letting this miko read it before it was publish was beyond him. "What's it about, miko?"

"Ah… its inspired from… well,  _me_ , taiyoukai-sama," Kagome replied. "She said she had a sudden urge to write about a miko who fell in love with a youkai when she saw me. She added that the miko was actually an inu-hanyou, between a miko who held the Everlasting Life Stone within her hand and a youkai who wanted to fight and make sure his mate was alright when he wasn't."

Ah… so that was why the neko was allowing the miko to read it, was it? He wondered why the neko youkai thought of a miko falling in love with a youkai, though. Perhaps she'd seen it when they were close together on the bus, or when they'd sat down next to each other. Either way really didn't bother him, but he still wanted to know. However, he noticed that the miko had returned to the book, and decided to ask later, instead. After all, he wanted the information, but he doubted the miko would even respond if he asked now. She really seemed into the youkai's fantasy writing. However, it was said that a youkai could make a better fantasy story, since they themselves were close to it. Not that it mattered to him, since he never really liked fantasy books. Politics were more his thing.

║ _A pair of dog-like ears twitched toward the right, as the little girl of five or six summers turned her head toward the east. She heard faint sounds of shuffling feet, as she gripped the ball she carried tighter to her chest. Her dark, grayish-blue eyes searched the pathway she was playing on for any signs of life, but saw none. However, she was sure she'd heard something, since the shrine was usually always swarming with priests and priestess coming to say their daily prays. Only a few actually acknowledged her presence, but she didn't mind much since she had her Auntie Rena to entertain her most of the day, even if it was mostly things she had to learn. Still, the people who did acknowledge her presence would place a soothing hand on her head as if testing her at the same time they were trying to comfort her. Auntie Rena always told her to not allow them to do this, but they were so kind to her… so, why did her Auntie Rena say that someday they would not be so kind and soothing, but try to make her go away?_

_Smiling to herself, the young inu-hanyou miko began bouncing her ball once again. Her clawed tipped fingers gripped the hide, continuing her one-person game of bounce, as she liked to call it. She tried to bounce it as high as she could and then catch it in the air. Of course, she knew she could do this easily, since Auntie Rena had been teaching her how to jump real high. Something about being able to jump higher then a normal child, but she'd never been able to get more then a few feet off the ground. Still, Auntie Rena told her that within time she'd be able to jump higher then the tallest tree in the forest, and that was something she wished to try until she succeeded. Still, as she bounced the ball again, she watched as it went real high into the air for the first time in days. Auntie Rena was always telling her she didn't know her own strength, so she reached out her hands to catch the ball as it came down. However, it missed her, hitting the ground, before bouncing away from her._

_Turning her head, she quickly turned toward the long set of stairs where her ball was heading. She knew that if she was fast enough it wouldn't reach the stairs, but she'd lose it if it went heading down the steps. Auntie Rena told her not to leave the shrine grounds, even though this place was supposed to be for holy people. That never seemed to bother her Auntie Rena, though, for she'd always tell her that she was holy as well as demonic. Now, she didn't know what these words meant, but she was sure that she'd understand someday._

_Her hakamas billowed with each step she took, the blue fabric bouncing on her ankles. Her haori sleeves seemed to fly behind her as she rushed toward the ball. It was heading toward the twin komainu, both of which faced anyone who would be heading up the stairs, one with its mouth opened in a roar. As she ran to catch the traitorous ball, the shuffling of feet became louder behind her, but she paid little mind to it._

_It was then a black haired man came up the stairs, as her ball hit one of the komainu in the back of the head. Happy her ball didn't go down the stairs, though, she rushed to grab it, but another clawed hand, much larger then her own, gripped the hide before she could. Turning her head up, she found a male in white armor staring down at her, his light blue eyes looking clearer then a sky without clouds. However, his flowing black hair was what caught her attention, as she reached up to grab at the ball he held captive from her. From his features, though, she could tell this man was youkai, instead of ningen._

" _You should be more careful, little one," he said, placing a playful looking scowl on his face. He saw the look of confusion the little inu-hanyou gave to him, before giving her a fanged smile, showing off his sharp canines. Gazing into her eyes warmly, he bounced the ball in his hand a little, saying, "You could lose something like this very easily, you know." With that he handed the ball down to her, placing it within her clawed little hands, before she clutched it to her chest. Such a cute child… his, too…_

_Who would have guessed?_

_Blinking up at him, she gave a small smile, bowing her head in thanks. She did not know this youkai, but the aura he gave off was warm and comforting. Besides, something inside of her told her that she shouldn't be frightened, but hurl herself into his arms, and be happy. To cuddle in the inu way, rubbing her nose underneath his chin like kin. She didn't give into that, though, for this youkai could merely toss her to the ground, changing his attitude completely. Auntie Rena told her never to trust a youkai, female or male, unless they showed their true colors, or didn't give off the scent of lies… She still hadn't learned how to tell between truth and lie, yet, though._

_The older youkai lifted his head, gazing at the woman who stood so silently in the middle of the shrines courtyard. Her straight black hair lifted a bit as the wind picked up, its tips swaying, while the heavy braid at the end kept it from lifting to high. Her brown eyes, nearly mahogany in color, bore into his own, glaring toward him. It was obvious by her aura that this miko wench did not wish for him to be here. Who cared? After all, it had taken him six long summers to find out what happened to his pup, and when he did he had to find the almost completely faded scent of his and Sakura's mixed scent. Now that he'd found his pup no one would stand in the way of him finding out more about her. No one._

" _Kagome," the woman called, obviously knowing his child more then he did. She glared more firmly at him, calling out again, "Come here, Kagome." Though her voice was like a winters breeze, she made it soft for the child. However, the male let out a displeased growl when his pup began walking toward the miko woman._

" _Hai, Yuka-sama?" Kagome said, bounding over to the older miko. She smiled up at the miko who allowed her to stay inside the shrine, waiting for the pat she always received. However, she was disappointed to find that Yuka did not sooth down her hair, or scratch behind her ears, but continued to stare at the youkai across the courtyard._

_Finally, Yuka turned her attention down to the young pup. Smiling a little, she placed her hand on the inu-hanyou's shoulder, and pulled her behind her, "Stay with me, Kagome" her command was firm, and solid._

" _Of course, Yuka-sama," Kagome replied, standing behind Yuka's legs. She listened, her ears twitching in different directions as she heard the other priests and priestesses finally coming out to pay respects to the kami. However, they stopped at the edge of the courtyard, watching as Yuka began speaking with the youkai across from them._

" _Inuka," Yuka called._

" _You've heard of me?" Inuka asked, narrowing his eyes. "Not surprising… not surprising at all." He gazed around the shrine, knowing that he'd have to take his pup from this place before she became like them. She would need to be strong to survive in this harsh world, especially, since she was a miko inu-hanyou. Not only that, but if she was well educated and strong he might be able to mate her off to a taiyoukai when she was older. Then he could be on top!_

_Possibly even become the general to one of the biggest armies in the whole country. He would be able to fight, while his daughter was given everything she so desired. They would not be told what to do, but tell others what they should do. His daughter, who shouldn't be blamed her birth, wouldn't have to worry about other youkai coming for her head, or names being spat in her face. No, his daughter would be the most beautiful mate in all the land._

" _Of course I have heard of you, Inuka," Yuka called. "You are the reason this poor child has been ridiculed when older… when she finally leaves this shrine in search of a better place. You are the reason your mate died! You were not there for her when she gave birth, thus the Everlasting Life Stone crushed her soul, taking her from us! You, Inuka, are the reason for this shrines…"_

" _Burden," another called out._

" _Monster," cried another._

" _Creature of hell," came another reply._

" _IIE," Yuka screeched, turning on the other holy men and women. "We are not to judge this poor hanyou for her birth, but for what she does with her life. If she does the right thing, then she will not be this burden, as you so call you. Have you people no shame?" Yuka glared at them, making the her underlings cringe with fear, "This child shall be a blessing one day," her eyes caught Inuka's, "if raised correctly."_

_Inuka growled, "I shall not allow you to keep my pup from me."_

_Kagome huddled behind the woman she considered her truest friend, allowing her ball to drop to the ground and roll away. She knew that someone would get it for her when she asked, but for now she wanted to hold onto something solid. That might have been why her claws sank into Yuka's hakamas, creating ten little holes. However, she knew the older miko would not mind, for she'd done it many times when another youkai had come to the temple in search of her._

_Glaring harder, Yuka hissed, "Leave this place, youkai, it is not for the likes of you!"_

" _Then my pup is coming with me," Inuka snarled, "for she is part youkai, as well."_

_Yuka smirked, "It does not matter, youkai. You might be the father to this poor bastard child, but you are the only being here without spiritual energy. You are the only one who will be killed by the force of a holy barrier. Kagome here," she patted the young child's head, "is also part miko. She contains the power of a great miko within her, and will someday show kindness to both ningen and youkai, but because she herself is hanyou she will show kindness to all. This inu-hanyou will not be harmed by a holy barrier, but you, youkai, shall."_

_There was a faint click of Yuka's fingers when her hand lifted into the air. However, the sound seemed to ring like a thousand bells as the wind picked up giving off the soft hum of music. The holy energy from all the holy men and women began lifting into the air, swirling around the shrine to the top of the stairs where Inuka stood. Then, as he was about to step forward, the barrier became solid, throwing him backward, his chest opening up the flesh bubbling against his ribcage._

_Clinging onto Yuka's hakama tighter, Kagome felt the holy energy pop lightly at her skin. However, after a few moments it no longer seemed dangerous, but soothing, the feel of these gentle people surrounding her. She frowned, releasing her hold on Yuka, only to wrap her arms more firmly around her leg after a moment. She was happy that Yuka had decided to wear the miko grab for today, since she'd probably get a spanking for ruining one of her prized kimonos' with her claws._

_Yuka watched as Inuka stumbled next to the barrier, his mouth hissing the words, "I shall be back one day, bitch. She is my pup, not yours. She is my **only**  pup, and I shall have her, no matter what you try!"_

_Yuka, however, merely turned her head away from the youkai outside her barrier, and looked down at the small looking hanyou clinging to her leg. "Kagome?" she said, almost silently._

" _Hai, Yuka-sama?" Kagome asked, looking up at her._

_Smiling a little, Yuka sighed, "Go find your ball, and play Kagome. Just do not stray outside the barrier, understand?"_

" _Hai, Yuka…_ ║

The bell rang. Kagome looked up in surprise, seeing Sesshoumaru standing almost on top of her, reaching for his bag. It seemed that he was finally going to carry it himself, which for her was a good thing. It wasn't that she couldn't carry it, but it was nice to know that he didn't want her to carry it anymore.

Sighing, she quickly placed her shoulder bag over her head, before placing her finger inside the page she was at. She'd gotten to around page fifty-seven, since they weren't really that big of pages. The book, now that she thought about it, was probably only the size of a small dictionary. Around maybe seven by five inches… it was a good size, but it meant she had to read more pages. Besides, Sesshoumaru had cost her time, and she hadn't started till after Professor Katana told her she could do almost anything.

Speaking of Professor Katana, she turned toward her, saying, "See you tomorrow, Professor. I'm sure whatever you plan will be a wonderful learning experience." She really didn't know what made her say it, but she was starting to like the demoness, even if she was cold and un-caring seeming. She was positive that like Sesshoumaru there was more to this demoness then there seemed to be.

Katana looked up, blinking her surprise, before shaking her head. "Thank you, Kagome."

Kagome smiled, before turning away from the demoness, and heading out the door. She ran to catch up to Sesshoumaru, knowing that if she continued to be his barrier maker she'd need to be close by him. Besides, reading Kirara's story so far had given her a sense of happiness, and she felt better then she had before. She couldn't wait to read more!

Except something caught her brain for a moment, and she turned her head to look back at the History classroom…  _How did Professor Katana know my name? I don't remember telling her it,_ Kagome thought, confusion racing through her thoughts. Honestly, she couldn't remember if she'd told her, her name or not. If she hadn't, then how did she know it? If she did, then why couldn't she remember doing so? Shrugging it off for the moment, she told herself she'd find out which it was, even if she had to ask Professor Katana herself.

oOo

As more students began to pile into the room, Katana turned toward the board, her eyes boring into the green surface. There was something slightly unnerving about the energy level the miko gave off. She hadn't sensed energy levels that high since she was a young pup… when miko and houshi were something you saw everyday. It made her want to shake a little, but only a little, since she could easily fend off a young miko's attack. After all, she was the one with the years of experience.

Still, the school was old, and many spirits, merely pieces of people who'd once worked or went there floating around. The strongest of them, the one that usually went around the school making things feel comforting, had been inside the classroom. She'd felt it… but as soon as the young miko Kagome left, it went with her. Could it be that they were related? Or perhaps it sensed her power level and wanted to keep her safe from others. After all, she'd heard that Kagome Higurashi was the reason why the very first student, a wind demoness, was sent off to the medical wing. Perhaps the spirit was causing trouble. It would not surprise her in the least.

Breathing softly, Katana decided that she would need to speak with Ivy soon. After all, if the spirit was causing trouble, then they could have a problem on their hands. True, the fonder, Midoriko, had not expected the school to end up as a breeding between the best of students, but when the numbers of suitable, or willing mates began to decrease rapidly Ivy's grandmother thought it best that they try something. So, they designed one area of the school to be for the breeding process. Older students, during their free time, went into the south wing all the time when the younger students were looking. The main reason why they barely talked to the younger students anymore, because Ivy had decided that if the older students wished to breed in their free time then they should be allowed to.

It had been a hard decision, though - at least for Ivy.

Still, she'd need to speak with Ivy. The miko would need a firm mate, a youkai, if possible. She'd need someone who would be able to handle the mating between a youkai and miko, and survive it. Yes, though early in the school year, they would need to start discussing the issue of the young miko. After all, from what she felt, the miko was probably a descendant of one of the great lights. One of the powerful, yet kind mikos' to have ever walked the Earth, or perhaps it had been a monk who was her ancestor. She would not know until she discussed it with Ivy.


	9. Enough is Enough

_Ok, Kagome, calm down. You can get through this a little longer, it's not like he's asking that big of a thing… of course, there's always the small factor that I really don't want to be doing this… Why am I getting his lunch again? Argh… he's going to kill me when I tell him I forgot what he wanted,_ Kagome continued to try and reason with herself. She hated doing this. Sesshoumaru continued to give her order after order; some of them weren't that bad, merely sharpen his pencil or something, but now he was keeping her completely from her friends, along with making her walk the extra few feet to get what he  **wanted** for lunch today.

One question continued to pop inside her head, though:  **did**  he even eat? She wasn't sure if he did, since for the last few times they'd had breakfast, lunch, or dinner he hadn't eaten anything. Now, all of a sudden, he wanted her to go get him the…  _ah… what was it he wanted?_ Shaking her head, Kagome giggled to herself,  _and this, ladies and gentlemen is why I, Kagome Higurashi, shall never become a waitress._

"Oh, there you are, Kags, I've been looking all over for you," came a voice to her side. Kagome glanced over, a little confused about who would be looking for her. However, there were only a few people in the whole school who would ever call her 'Kags' so it wasn't that hard to believe when she saw Sango standing at her side.

Grinning, Kagome said, "Really, Sango? I'll you've done since we entered this strange place is chase after Miroku's butt!" She laughed, tilting her head back until she saw Sesshoumaru glaring toward, obviously wanting her to hurry up with her little – what had he called it? – oh, yes,  _assignment_. This whole loyalty to his father thing, though, was really grading on her nerves. Really, why didn't he just call in his father asking, " _Daddy, will you come teach this peasant girl some manners, she's breathing my air?_ " She had to sniffle a laugh after that one, especially since she knew she'd never hear those words in that order fall from his frozen tundra of a mouth.

Really, all he ever did was degrade the people around him. She knew; she'd been with him all day so far.

Sango gave her that knowing look, before saying, "Are you going to tell me what's so damn funny, or try to stop laughing for the rest of the day?"

Happy she wasn't holding anything Kagome patted Sango on the shoulder, saying, "Glad to have you back, Sango." She meant it; her friends had been acting really weird since they entered this school. Well, at least Miroku and Sango, since they were really the only true friends she knew outside of this weird ass high school.

Sighing through his nose, he felt like grinding his fangs together. Why couldn't the miko just get on with the task he'd assigned? True, he only wanted to eat because they were serving some very fine smelling meat, but she should have learned from earlier that day that she should do as he told her without uttering a word – she should get it over and done with before his patience ran thin. The miko wanted to make everything hard, though, and he was starting to feel like he was teaching a pup how to walk when it wasn't ready. Around the miko… he had to take baby steps, and that was really starting to piss him off. Too bad he couldn't inflict any type of pain onto her – she would have learned her lesson the first time if he could just whip her nicely over the ass. After all, she deserved a child's punishment.

Tapping his foot against the ground, Sesshoumaru glanced to his left to see the neko-youkai who'd befriended Kagome standing only a few feet behind him. Her red eyes were gazing at him in warning, obviously not happy with the way he was treating her friend. However, he, Sesshoumaru Taisho, did not care, since the miko needed to prove that she'd be willing to die for the Western Lands. She could prove to be a threat to his father and him if she was not completely and uttering loyal. After a few moments, however, he turned his eyes back to the miko before him.

Still, the neko came up to his side, her eyes gazing toward the miko Kagome. Sesshoumaru knew that cats were loyal, but he never expected one to befriend a ningen so fast. It was odd in a way, yet he knew that the miko's odd nature must have had something to do with it; after all, she was a strange person indeed.

Kirara gave a small hiss, turning her eyes toward the taiyoukai heir standing at her side. Her family might have been peace-loving creatures for over a century in order to live, but she wouldn't put up with the way he was treating Kagome. The poor girl deserved better then to be his slave for the rest of her short life. She just hoped she could pound that into his head enough that he came to realize that the descendant of the Shikon Miko was  **not**  someone to mess with. Hopefully after that he'd leave her alone and let Kagome live out her life without having to use the old ways to work around her current situation. After all, they were in the twenty first century, they weren't back in the time where the taiyoukai would simply walk into a village, yell that he wanted a woman, and have one thrown at his feet for his pleasure. Sesshoumaru should not be treating Kagome this way.

"Do not attempt to try and scare this Sesshoumaru, neko," Sesshoumaru growled. Though he might have been a youkai he still had a strong dislike toward cats. Not only because he was an inu, but also because he'd never been around them for long when he was younger – all cats seemed to hiss at him, even when he'd done nothing wrong. It was like they had something against them, so it was only natural that he'd repay them for it.

Glaring, Kirara replied, "Leave Kagome alone, Sesshoumaru. Release her from your current…  _agreement_."

Smirking, Sesshoumaru never turned his eyes from the miko who was currently gazing around the food while talking to her friend. She seemed to have forgotten what he wanted, but after looking over toward the raw meat she seemed sickened, before moving toward it, her friend grabbing her sleeve to ask her where she was going. However, he turned his attention to the neko at his side, his eyes watching the miko carefully, "Why, neko, would this Sesshoumaru wish to do such a thing?"

"You know as well as I that she doesn't need to prove anything, Sesshoumaru," Kirara growled. "Kagome would have tried to destroy your father's reign much earlier then this if she wasn't loyal to him." She knew he knew this, because he wouldn't be doing it if that damn wind demoness Kagura would just leave him alone. Yes, she paid attention to these things; after all, she was watched what was going on around her more then everyone thought.

Sesshoumaru simply snorted, continuing to watch his newest  _helper_. The neko wasn't going to win him over with a little growl, especially since he could make one far more threatening. Of course, if he used it then he'd probably freak out half the student body. However, he did open his mouth to say, "She would have been far to young to try such a thing. She has now gained control over her powers, and could easily throw my father from his throne."

Giving her own snort, Kirara said, "Your father hasn't had a throne in a very long time. The only thing he does now is pass laws and make sure everything is in working order inside the Western Borders. You know that, Sesshoumaru. Do not try to say otherwise.

"Leave Kagome alone, Sesshoumaru, or she'll rebel in the end." Kirara turned away from him when Kagome began walking toward them, two trays in her hands. She had this odd feeling that Kagome would crack by the end of the day and Sesshoumaru would find himself on the wrong end of the pole.

Letting her go, Sesshoumaru motioned for the miko to follow him, though her hands seemed to be full. However, it did not bother him, since is nose was more honed in on the smell of raw meat. True, he'd known there was going to be steak, but he never thought they'd set out completely raw, bleeding pieces for the youkai. After all, it was said to be unsanitary at his old school. Apparently this school didn't think so, and he was glad for that. He could go for about a month without some type of food, but this he couldn't resist.

Moving toward a table, he said, "Sit miko." She stared at him for a moment, before placing the tray in front of him and sitting beside him. Her friend came a sat in front of them, her gold cape hanging behind her, the hood brought up upon her head. He paid little attention to them as he began digging in, his fangs ripping through the meat he had sliced off from the rest.

"Thanks for coming to sit by me, Sango," Kagome said, smiling at her friend. She nearly felt sick when she saw blood drip from the sides of Sesshoumaru's mouth, however she pushed down that feeling and began cutting through her own. Well done was enough for her since raw was just… gross, disgusting, vial. She could go on for hours.

"Its not a problem Kagome," Sango giggled, "I mean, this is such a nice view you have."

A blush rose on her cheeks as she placed a piece inside her mouth. Chewing a little, she said, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, miko," Sesshoumaru growled.

Her eyes narrowed, as she turned to look at him. Sighing deeply through her nose, Kagome felt her nerves grade down further. She'd already had twenty-five orders given to her since this morning. She knew, she'd counted to see how much he would try and continue to order her around. She was a person, not his slave. He meant well for the lands he'd one-day rule, but he was beginning to go over the line. So, she said, "Yeah, this coming from the youkai eating like a savage beast."

Lifting his mouth away from his food, Sesshoumaru turned toward her, saying, "Have you forgotten who you're speaking to,  _Ka-Go-Me_?" Maybe her neko friend had been right? Throughout the beginning of the day the miko had not once complained about his orders yet, she was now rebelling as the neko said she would. Perhaps he should leave her be for a while, merely telling her to continue with his first order: keeping Kagura at bay.

"Iie, I have not, Sesshoumaru-sama," she hissed, "but my table manners are fine." She huffed, turning her face to her side, only to watch as her  _admirer_ began making his way toward her. Glaring, her barrier went into place, while she placed her hand onto the table, beginning to click her nails against the wood lightly. As soon as she started, however, she got another order.

"Miko, stop that annoying habit," Sesshoumaru growled. "You're busting this Sesshoumaru's eardrums." Though the sound was light in the air, it seemed to bounce off the walls and return to his ears much louder then it had been in the first place. It was enough to make him want to cover his ears and whimper like a puppy for her to stop. He was going to be taiyoukai one day, though, and that would disgrace him beyond anything she could ever throw at him.

Bringing her hand into a fist, Kagome said, "Well, excuse me. This Kagome didn't realize that a natural instinct, when she's on the verge of blasting apart an annoying ookami, was going to upset the poor taiyoukai heir at her side." She closed her eyes tightly, wishing that he would just disappear, but when she looked back over toward him, his golden eyes glaring at her, she knew her wish was for nothing. Nothing she was willing to do, since she wanted to continue her education, was going to help with this situation.

Forcing down a snarl, Sesshoumaru said, "Then take out that anger on said ookami, instead of my ears."

Narrowing her eyes to slits, Kagome said, "Is the only thing you know how to do is order, order, order, order. I mean really, you should be able to do a lot of others things as well."

Poison began dripping from his claws, melting through the wooden table, as he forced down the urge to shove them deep into her throat, before allowing the poison to take affect by melting her insides. A snarl filled the air around him, as he felt his face began to grow in length, a red haze flooding his sight. However, a hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder, and the feeling left him, before he glanced up to find Professor Ivy staring down at him.

She'd been watching from her seat as they continued to argue. She'd watched as they both began to lose control, the miko letting out a small amount of her holy power, letting it fill the air without anyone knowing. She'd watched as it caused Sesshoumaru's reaction, and finally she'd gone to intervene. After all, she didn't need a transformed inuyoukai within the school, but she also didn't need a sudden war between youkai and ningen. She'd had it happen only once before, but the entire school had suddenly taken sides, rushing out into the courtyard and training grounds to fight between themselves. That year there had been many mikos' inside the walls, and the youkai had been reduced to a few before she finally got them under control and back in working order. She was lucky she'd had Katana use a spell to erase their memory of the students lost, and of the battle, for she would have had to close the school if they had. Now, though, she didn't need another battle, and there surely would have been one if Sesshoumaru had transformed completely, causing the miko Kagome to react, instantly attacking her opponent.

"Professor," he said, slightly confused about what had just happened. She saw her other hand on Kagome's shoulder, while her eyes stared up at the jackal in awe. Her energy was swirling around them in a comforting embrace, and he felt the miko's exhaustion disappear along with it.

Ivy frowned a little, before saying, "What is going on here?"

Kagome, still slightly within her trance, said, "Sesshoumaru-sama has been trying to test my…" shaking her head, she shook away the feeling, before gazing up at Professor Ivy in confusion.

"Did you ask something, Professor?" she asked.

"Nothing of importance now, Kagome," Ivy smiled. "Just promise me that in the future you two will try to get along, instead of tearing at each others throats," there was an edge to her voice, a challenge to defy her.

They bowed their heads, before saying, "Of course, Professor."

Sango watched this exchange with mild curiousity, before dipping her head to the Head Mistress. Professor Ivy returned the nod, before turning to go back to her seat. Though Sango wasn't quite sure about what had just happened, she sighed when after only a few minutes Sesshoumaru gave Kagome the order to dump his tray. Of course, like the good miko she was, Kagome got up and raced to do as Sesshoumaru asked. For a moment she wondered what type of spell Sesshoumaru has placed over her friend.

oOo

"Hurry," Sesshoumaru called. He could barely remember what had happened during lunch, but he was currently calling for the miko to catch up to him. After all, during their runs' she needed to be close by so that Kagura couldn't annoy him. He didn't want her handing on him, so he merely called for the miko's  _assistance_. It was also fun to walk at the speed that the miko used to run and make her keep up the entire time. Sure, he was wearing her out, but that was his plan.

She needed to leave the school for it to work. Wearing her out was just a major part to his complete plan. Sure, he had many other ways that could result in the miko being either pulled from the school, or merely dropping out, but this one was the best way he'd thought of. Ok, it was the easiest way, but he wasn't going to go into that category since he was going to stick with the plan he currently had.

Running forward, Kagome felt her fatigue begin to return to her. She could faintly remember that she had felt this way earlier that day, but it seemed to be shoved into the back of her mind. Still, running this entire time, listening to the ten or so orders Sesshoumaru had already given her, she was starting to feel her barrier slip. Simply because like all the other times they'd been outside Kouga had decided to run beside her, and that blasted Inuyasha was bugging someone she thought was faintly familiar, but she couldn't tell because she was forced to knock the hanyou away while keeping up with the inuyoukai slave driver before her.

Her legs were dead weight, but she was happy Sesshoumaru had decided to carry his own bag, since running with hers – she'd decided not to take it off – on her shoulders was making her a little nauseous. Ok, she hadn't actually decided to take it off, Sesshoumaru had ordered her to follow him when she was starting to go back to the hooks for the Art students to hang their bags. So, she was stuck carrying her things when she could have had the weight taken off. Too bad Mr. Taiyoukai thought she needed to do… whatever he was trying to make her do by running this whole time.

He needed to learn how to be patient if this was going to work completely. However, she wasn't sure if he could be patient with anything, so she continued to move forward. Her head was getting lighter, though, and she began to sway on her feet, before she suddenly stopped, falling onto her butt, while staring ahead. She tried to keep them up but her barriers dropped, and she felt anger rise within her because Sesshoumaru had pushed her to the limits and she could barely muster even an ounce of miko energy to release the anger growing within her, which meant her powers were beginning to stir up the energy she kept on reserve, hidden so she didn't hurt others.

Tears of rage spilled from her eyes when she heard footsteps behind her. Her holy powers were crackling around her, when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. However, she didn't look up to see another miko staring down at her, her energy mixing with hers to give her strength. Sniffling, Kagome blinked when she heard Sesshoumaru's growling, and Kagura's squeals of delight, obviously happy to have finally gotten the chance to get close to the mighty heir.

"Kikyo, what are you doing?" Inuyasha yelled, seeing Kikyo kneel beside the miko who hung around with his brother. His eyes narrowed at the bitch; he could still feel the wall hitting his back, and formed a fist with his hand, ready to knock her into next week. However, the black haired girl he'd been following was currently knelt beside the miko, her hands gently rubbing at her shoulders, when he heard his brother's growling coming toward them.

Kikyo turned to glare at the inu-hanyou, before saying, "I'm helping  **my**  tired cousin, hanyou, now go… do whatever it is you do and leave me be."

"She's your cousin?" Inuyasha nearly choked on the words. No way that bitch was the cousin to the hottest girl he'd ever seen. It did make sense, though, since they looked pretty much alike. A few differences, but he could see the family resemblance between the two of them by simply looking at them.

Glaring at him longer then before, Kikyo gave a stiff nod. "Hai, Inuyasha, that would be why my mother's maiden name was Higurashi. It was changed after she married my father, which makes Kagome here is my cousin because her mother is my aunt," she said, helping the girl to her feet. She knew from watching Kagome during the run that she was trying to keep up with Sesshoumaru, the  _Prince of Dogs_ , as some called him. He was more like the biggest ass ever put the planet Earth.

"Miko, where is this Sesshoumaru's barrier?" Sesshoumaru snarled, pacing forward toward the girl hanging on the shoulder of the girl that looked strangely… like Kagome. However, her hair wasn't wavy, and her skin was paler, making her look less living then anything else.

At the moment, however, he was trying to throw off the demoness hanging on his arm. His eyes were beginning to bleed red, and he wanted nothing more then to slice her head to pieces, or at least crush it beneath his foot. He couldn't do either inside this damn school, and he was starting to wish he'd left for this damn place. That he'd stayed home like he wanted to, but no, his father pushed him onto to that damn bus, and then he met that blasted miko.

Maybe he should be cursing his father for all this bad luck.

Groaning, Kagome looked up, only to smile, "Kikyo" she whispered. She saw her cousin smile at her, and placed her head on her shoulder, feeling the fabric of Kikyo's cape under head cheek. The white color told her that her cousin was in drama, and that didn't surprise her at all.

Her attention turned, her anger coming back to her, as she steadied herself on Kikyo's shoulder. The other miko stopped next to her, glancing back as they both gazed at the taiyoukai coming toward them. Giving a small nod when Kikyo whispered into her ear, they both mixed their power together to place a barrier around them. The taiyoukai stopped in his tracks, growling in anger.

"Are you proving that you're against my father's reign, miko?" Sesshoumaru hissed. He heard Kagura say something about how Kagome'd probably turn against them at any moment. However, he didn't pay attention to her, merely pushing her to the ground, causing her to fall on her ass while he tapped the barrier with his claws. It was to perfection.

Feeling Kikyo's energy swirl around her, Kikyo gripped her shoulder tighter, before saying, "Iie, Sesshoumaru, but you have used my power for own gain. You haven't been trying to prove my loyalty to your father, but use me as your miko slave. I won't do it anymore, since I know who loyal to, and the Western Lands is one of them."

Growling, Sesshoumaru replied, "This Sesshoumaru will give you one more chance to redeem yourself, miko."

Flaring her power out, which had seemed to double in size from the amount she kept hidden, Kagome glared toward him. "This Kagome will nothing of it," she said, allowing Kikyo to pull her away. Though she knew she was making a big mistake by going against a taiyoukai-to-be, she knew that she couldn't allow Sesshoumaru to misuse her abilities any longer. After all, she was a miko, she was supposed to bring peace to the land, not help a youkai who merely wanted to push everyone who wanted to become friends with him away.

She would not longer be his pet to drag around at will.


	10. Paintings of the Past

While the students waited for the final bell to ring, boots clicked against the marble floor in the restricted section of the school. The demoness continued to walk through the halls, looking around at the different rooms, each closed, but beyond the doors were things that only a few would talk of; she, however, knew everything behind them without much thought about it at all. Each was a different color on the inside, each having a single bed, a nightstand with glasses they filled upturned, and a specially designed lamp to dim the rooms to perfection. However, there were no windows, and a spell around each wouldn't allow sound to exit the walls, making sure the younger students didn't catch wind of what would happen during the spring. However, she was merely here to check on a few things, waiting for her oldest friend to end her class, before coming to speak with her.

Moving through the red and black painted corridors, Katana listened to the sound of her boots clicking against the floor. It wasn't often that she could be found moving through these walls, but for now she would make sure that the spells were still intact, and repair the ones that needed to be reinforced. Besides, she had time to spare, since she was also going through the secret door at the end to go get an herb inside the garden beyond said door. It would help Kumo, the History teacher, along with her current illness, and she would only need to hold up her class until the end of the week. Why the damn youkai who had it didn't go straight to the medical wing was still a slight mystery, since the older student didn't like to talk much, but it was clear that he still carried the virus. Lucky thing it was a youkai virus, only, since that meant they could contain it better.

However, Katana stopped for a moment when she came up to a certain painting hanging on the side of the wall. The dark haired woman within it seemed to be emotionless, yet her eyes held a small tinkle the painter had captured. The symbol upon her forehead identified her as a Warrior Miko of the past, while her armor and clothing told someone she was a symbol for the past. She knew this person to be known as Midoriko, though she'd met her once, long ago when she first began her work. The miko was one of the few reasons she came to the school in search of work when youkai and ningen began living side-by-side. Midoriko had been a great miko, who had been said to be the reincarnation of the Shikon Miko, Kagome. However, there were many legends, and tales, some even saying that Midoriko was Kagome's daughter, when that was not possible, considering the time span they had lived, and the clearly different eras they had lived in. Still, it was fun telling others, since once it got around and back to her it had completely changed. However, it had still been a great privilege to have known Midoriko in person, and she almost wished that she had been born further back in time so she could have met Kagome as well, since the woman was said to be the greatest miko of all time, a woman who had held the Shikon no Tama tightly in her grasp, and yet… history never really told you everything that ever happened to Kagome. Pieces of the puzzle were missing, because the family line she made, the Higurashi's, would not allow anymore information to leave the confines of their home, as if the secrets they held would completely change the way people saw the miko. She was sure that everyone would merely look at what Kagome had done with the Shikon, instead of her wrong doings, and cheer for her even more. Still, even Ivy's friend held the information tightly, Higurashi Sakura, who had once come to the school when she was younger. Now her daughter was here, and Katana was sure that the Higurashi secrets would never be told, even if they tried to pry it out of them.

Giving the painting one final look, Katana moved forward, her boots echoing creating a slight rhythm of music as she moved. A small smirk formed on her lips as she turned a corner, moving past the almost endless hall of doors, each containing the items needed later in the year. It was always fun to tell the children that they were going to  _visit_  the rooms, and that inside they would find what they desired most of all. However, Ivy would read them off in pairs, knowing who their perfect mate was by then, and when they entered a room they were locked inside, and when they came out they were bound together for life. Plus, the liquid they told them to drink in order to get to see their desires made sure they couldn't talk about the breeding  _program_ until they reentered the school.

Of course, there was a limit to the spell, which allowed them to talk about it with anyone who had the liquid inside their system as well, but they never told them that. They had their reasons, but they were their own.

The hall seemed to be filled with a quiet wind, before suddenly the jackal youkai was walking beside her, her gray robes swirling around her like a hurricane. Ivy had always been one for big entrances, and her strange ability to form the place she wanted to go in her minds eye, before actually being transported their, only appealed to her lust for her next big entrance. Or maybe her exit, since it was quite unnerving to most to see Ivy merely fade away as if she were never there. If she hadn't been around her for so many years, it might have bothered even her.

"So," Ivy began, "have you began on your project?"

"Iie," Katana replied, her feet continuing to move forward, continuing to send the echo around the Southern Wing. She had reinforced the sound barrier on the main doors, which were blocked off with heavy magic, but that was about it. She hadn't gotten around to checking the other doors yet, unless Ivy was talking about her other project, as she liked to call it.

"I don't care about the spells, Katana," Ivy shook her head a little, "you know that. Tell me of the students. It is your job to decide which students certain abilities, or attitudes would go together. After all, the wrong matches could end up in disaster, possible death, or killing; you know that."

"Hai, I know," Katana sighed. "It is to early to tell with this bunch, though, Ivy. Some of them will be hard to place until I have given them the spell to the training grounds. I must know their full extend in power, and the others are hard to place until I know their attitudes, and personalities. You know this, and you also know it is to soon to know these things."

"Hai, hai," Ivy said, "I would agree if it weren't for those two."

"Which two?" Katana asked, her feet bringing her to a stop in front of a large wall, which had the craving of two dragons wrapped around each other in battle. Her hand reached out to grasp onto the longest dragons snout, before pushing on the stone, waiting for it to go back completely, and open up for her. The spell upon it stopped the edges of the secret door from being seen, but that did not bother her, since she could have many spells and not tire herself.

"The taiyoukai heir, and the descendant of the Great Kagome, the Shikon Miko," Ivy replied, giving a small sigh. "Already they are at each others throats, obviously, though, underneath their exteriors they are completely different people. Should we bring out that interior then… well, we might have the perfect match already, bringing together the two most powerful lines we have ever had within this school. Or…"

"Or we might start another war between the students," Katana sighed herself. She shook her head a little, before saying, "Its to risky, Ivy. You know we can't do that again. Do you not remember the last time? I admit bringing their lines together might be something good for the future, but what of the kids? From what I've seen, they hate each other, and their hatred has only lessened a bit since they walked through the doors. Perhaps we should find them other mates."

Ivy shook her head, before saying, "I must take this risk, Katana. I must."

Frowning, Katana replied, "Did you see something? Something that needs to be done in order to… well, change the future."

"Hai, I did, Katana," Ivy nodded. "I did, and without them together the war might just happen. I believe that one of my spells might be needed in a few weeks if they do not start getting along. You and I will have to keep close eyes on them, and make sure that you have them close by when they should be, but far apart at other times. Do you understand, Katana? I do not want this going wrong."

"Of course I understand," Katana replied. "I'll make sure to keep a sharp eye on them. Both of them, I promise."

"Good," Ivy whispered, watching as Katana moved into their secret herb garden. The scent wrapped around her, but she paid little attention to it, before turning on her heel and moving back down the hall. Katana would find her when she needed to, until then she would allow the inuyoukai to do as she wished. After all, that old dog couldn't be caged for long before she bit her owner, hard.

oOo

║" _Hai, Yuka-sama," Kagome replied, a smile breaking out over her face. She did not understand what the strange youkai wanted, but she knew that when Yuka-sama told her to do something it was in order to protect her. So, she found her ball, and began playing with it, making sure that she stayed far away from the edge of the barrier as she waited for her Aunty Rena to arrive. After all, Aunty Rena had promised to show her how to focus her miko energy. All right, Aunty Rena told her she was going to learn it, instead of promising, but to the young hanyou child it was really the same thing._

_Yuka stayed close to the child, watching the barrier carefully for any signs of Inuka. She knew of the bonds between youkai and their children, but she'd heard much of Inuka. That blasted youkai did not deserve to even look at the sweet inu-hanyou named Kagome. Besides, Kagome's life would be ruined if Inuka got his hands on it. Her entire world would be ripped from her, and she would become nothing more then a girl who knew how to kill, fight, and join an army. Kagome deserved so much more then that._

_Glancing to the side, Yuka nearly sighed when she saw the white haired woman coming toward them. Rena had always seemed like a warrior on the outside, but she was a true miko at heart. Especially when Kagome dropped her ball and began running toward her. True, at first Rena merely watched as the inu-hanyou slammed against her leg, but within moments she'd lifted the child above her head, listening as she giggled, her voice calling out to the older woman. Watching, Yuka smiled, and decided to leave them alone. Her barrier still in place, however, Yuka turned on her heel, before moving to walk inside the shrine…_ ║

"Kagome! Kagome!" came a voice. She'd had the journal up to her nose as they walked, knowing that Kirara would led her to her history class, but it was obvious that the youkai girl wanted something. So, placing her marker into the book, Kagome turned to look at her, giving her the go ahead with her eyes. That was all Kirara needed as an ok, so she turned Kagome completely in the hallway, showing her the large painting on the wall beside them.

A little confused, Kagome continued to gaze up at the painting, before reaching up to scratch the back of her head. She was about to say, "This was all you wanted to show me" and turn away, but something stopped her. Something about the strange resemblance between the two neko-youkai within the painting and the one at her side, the hair was the same, and the eyes of one of them, but surely it wasn't what she thought it was. Then again, Kirara's family had been going to this school for years, but the painting showed a pregnant female, while her obviously happy mate was holding her around the shoulders. Glancing down at the names, Kagome found a date, and became even more confused, before turning to Kirara, silently asking her if they were her parents, since the painting had been painted nearly two hundred years ago.

"Kagome," Kirara whispered, "they're my grandparents." She glanced excitedly from the painting to her friend, clasping her hands together. She looked at the painting next to it, before saying, "Look, that one has Toji as the last name! They must be related to that Kouga fellow." She looked at the painting thoroughly, before nodding, "Yup, they're both wolves."

"That's strange," Kagome mumbled. She looked at the paintings hanging on the long wall, probably going off into other corridors, and things. However, her eyes blinked a few times, as she said, "What do you think they are?"

"Paintings of the past, Kagome," Kirara replied instantly. "Don't you see, we could probably trace back to the very first relatives of ours who came to this school. We could look at their paintings, and remember…" She moved her hands in a strange way, as if doing so would take her into the very painting, which caused Kagome to giggle. Pouting, Kirara said, "We should try to find your relatives, Kagome!"

"Why not yours?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, I've been told the history of our family so many times. I know that my great-great grandfather was the first to ever come to this school. I suspect his painting to be down," Kirara placed her claw between her fangs, turning in a circle, before saying, "that way!"

Smiling, Kagome said, "You just pointed in a random direction, didn't you?"

Kirara nodded, "Sure did!" Her voice seemed to be higher with each day that she knew Kagome, but she knew that the miko didn't really care. After all, Kagome was kind hearted, and she was her friend. She knew that at first she'd been kind of timid and shy, but now she felt like she was finally coming out of her shell, and with it was a much brighter Kirara, who loved the world. However, before Kagome could protest she went off to find Kagome's families painting, leaving the girl in the hall alone. They still had plenty of time to get to class, since they had went to the  _bathroom_  last period, but really they just wanted to get out of class. So, after promising not to make too much noise, they'd moved out into the hall, and the bell had rung only a minute or so ago.

Kagome sighed, before moving to look at each and every painting within the hall. When she neared the classroom door, she came upon the painting she remembered seeing, but not being able to stop and look at. Upon closing inspection, she found the painting to be her mother, heavy with child, while her father stood behind her. It caused tears to come to her eyes, since her father had died when she was little. It was obvious that the child within her mother's womb was herself, but they looked so happy together, and she sighed in frustration upon seeing it. Why did the school keep paintings of every student that ever came to the school? She didn't want to see how happy her parents had been before her father's death. Now, she stood there looking at it, before her vision shifted to the painting next to it, finding two beautiful inuyoukai staring down at her. Upon reading the small golden tag, she found them to be Inu, and Sakura, Lord and Lady of the Western Lands, before Sakura past away, and Inu took a ningen mate.

That was how Kirara found her. The neko-youkai walked up behind her quite confused, before whispering, "You like dogs, huh?"

"What?" Kagome asked. She blinked a few times, before shaking her head, remembering the treatment Sesshoumaru had put her through, "Iie, of course I don't." Yesterday had been the worst day she could remember since the death of her father, and she didn't want to relive it again.

Kirara gave her a knowing look, before saying, "Sure seems like you do."

"So," Kagome said, trying to get away from the subject, "What did you find?"

Kirara blinked in confusion again, before saying, "Well, Kagome, I found seven paintings with your ancestors in them."

"And…" Kagome urged.

"Well, its weird, Kagome," Kirara confessed. "There's a large time span between the fourth and the fifth ancestors. Its like there's a painting missing, or something; in fact, it did that with about three family trees. Yours was the weirdest, though, because in one painting there was a youkai as a woman's mate, but its clear you're not half-youkai. The last one, the seventh, was the strangest. It held… well, it was blank. It was like the people inside the painting had been erased, or something. None of the paintings around it, though, were like that. The names were on it, though, Kagome. If you'd like to look after class."

Kirara bit the inside of her lip, "Using my youkai speed I checked nine hallways, but the weirdest thing I found, Kagome, was another painting with a woman who looked strangely like you. So, I read the name, and it said, Ikari Kagome. It's about the only painting where the woman was looking up as if she were looking into the face of her mate, but there's no one there. I mean, there was a faded image of a male, but it's so destroyed that you can't even see him. That wasn't the weird thing, though, but the fact that his name wasn't listed on the tag below the painting. Only hers."

"Ikari?" Kagome said. "That was my great-great-great-great-many-times-great-grandmother's name before she married her husband. But, she must have been born around the time that the school started. Why would she be here, and why is it that in one of the paintings my ancestor was a youkai? I don't get it, I've never been told I have youkai blood pulsing in my veins."

"I donno, Kagome," Kirara sighed, "It might have been something the family didn't want to get out. Or maybe there have been so many ningen within your family line that the youkai blood isn't dangerous, and they just didn't think it was important."

"But it is important, its my history," Kagome sighed. "These paintings are strange," she said, reaching out to touch the painting of Inu and Sakura.

"Don't feel bad, Kagome," Kirara said, "Sesshoumaru's family line is messed up, too. I was looking through them, and your family and his are the longest to have ever stayed in the school, or according to the dates. Many of his paintings are messed up, but all of them were inuyoukai. Some are erased, and faded, though, if that makes you feel any better."

"I guess," Kagome said, "Come on, when we have time, tomorrow or something, we can look at them again."

"Sure thing, Kagome," Kirara replied.

However, Kagome turned back to look at the image of Inu and Sakura, and nearly gasped when she saw the image beginning to fade. Her head began to hurt quite suddenly, her body growing cold, as she breathed faster in confusion. It was like her touch had suddenly ruined the beautiful painting, but something in her told her that another painting had changed as well. As she blacked out, something told her that when she saw the paintings again, different ones would be faded out, some completely gone, while hers were perfectly normal. That didn't stop her from faintly, though, nor did it stop Kirara from screaming, which brought the teacher to their side.


	11. The Medical Wing: Sickness

Katana slide to a stop next to the unconscious girl, quickly pressing her fingertips to her neck, searching for her heartbeat since it was so quiet she could barely hear it. She'd already recognized the girl as Higurashi Kagome, daughter to a Higurashi Sakura, who'd been named after the previous Lady of the West, just as many other women around the time. However, she turned her attention to the wide-eyed neko, and hissed, "What happened? Tell me everything, and so help me if you don't, I'll—"

Kirara gulped, before whispering, "You're not allowed to hurt the students, Professor. It as you said, we are your responsibility and should you hurt a student you'd be going against that." Her voice quivered as she watched the inuyoukai lift Kagome into her arms, motioning for her to follow, before barking back down the hallway that if anything was out of place when she returned they would all have detention for the rest of the year.

"Currently," Katana continued to hiss, "I do not care about that stupid rule. I do not need this kind of a headache this early in the year. Now,  **tell me what happened**!" Her voice was stern, demanding the younger youkai answer or face the consequences. She usually wasn't so harsh on students, but they needed to learn not to scream when there were youkai possibly very close by, especially her and her poor ringing ears.

Kirara seemed to know this, quietly saying, "We were looking at the paintings in the hallway, Professor. She touched the painting of Sesshoumaru Taisho's parents, Inu and Sakura, and when she turned to go to class, after I told her we could look at them later when we had more time, she looked back and her scent suddenly changed to one of fright and confusion. I turned to ask her what was wrong, but she was already falling toward the ground… I-I-I was s-so s-scar-r-red."

"Its not surprising," Katana, said. "Now, you'll have to tell your story to the Medical Wing's healer. Or one of them, there are currently four, but that does not matter at the moment. For now we must hurry."

"Why?" Kirara asked. "Isn't Kagome going to be alright?"

"I don't know," Katana sighed, "All I know is she's beginning to burn up." Her pace increased, feeling the girl's temperature rise as they continued on their way to a large set of stairs, to which she began to climb, knowing that she'd have to reach the floor containing the Medical Wing quickly. Alright, so it wasn't a  _wing_ , exactly, but another floor, which was located higher up then the dormitories reached, which was around three floors up, so the Medical Wing was located on about the fourth floor, though, then again, that wasn't true, since they didn't count the floors inbetween. Not that she should be thinking this at this moment in time, since she had a miko who felt like she was beginning to burn holes through her clothing.

:GGgggrrrrr: Kami, damn it, if it weren't for her constant years of training she would have merely dropped the girl and allowed Higurashi to tumble down the stairs, before rushing off to put her hands under some ice cold water, which could only be found in the kitchens. Kaede made sure to have at least a jug full in case something happened, but other then that, the old cook would have probably slapped her across the face for not helping the girl completely. And damn it all, she would have gotten away with it, too, since Kaede was one of the few people she respected inside this crazy place.

Older students on the upper floors came from their classrooms to watch as the strictest teacher went flying by, a smaller youkai trailing behind her as a girl lay limply in her arms. Their own teachers' called to have them go back to their seats, but already they were beginning to talk as they sat beside their partners, some of them having been there since they were fifteen, knowing more about the school then some, while others were going to have to leave the school that year, since they would become nineteen by the summer. The youkai students began telling them the girl looked, and smelled, to be around sixteen to seventeen, to which they were right, and within a matter of moments the word was spreading around, even to the younger students, that a girl had been rushed up to the Medical Wing. Of course, some of the stories were overstretched to get attention, some thinking the girl fainted and Professor Katana was being a good sport, while others thought that they girl was attacked by some type of evil ghost in the hallway before class started. Otherwise the stories were mostly true, which was why they traveled quickly, almost seeming as if the very walls had sent the message along.

 _Oh, Kagome,_ Kirara thought, a tear falling from her eye as she continued to keep pace with the older woman,  _onegai, be all right… I-Gomen, I should have caught you before you hit the floor…_  She knew it was not entirely her fault Kagome had hit the floor before she could do anything, but mainly the fact that shock had overridden her movement, before the scream had ripped through her throat, attracting the attention of many within the area. Even she'd been a little shocked to find that after Kagome'd hit the floor the painting of Inu and Sakura had completely faded away, the two powerful inuyoukai rulers almost seeming to disappear from time and space. However, her memory of them was clear as day, so it was not as if someone had actually messed with time.

Katana nearly leapt up the final set of stairs, her legs pushing her forward as she swung around, her back hitting the double doors, pushing them forward, as she moved into the room. Instantly one of the medical staff came to her side, ushering her toward a cot, since she knew that this small youkai apart of the medical staff could not speak, but she did hear her thoughts when her arm was touched. However, she merely shrugged off the youkai's touch, telling her to get her Yumi, and to be quick about it. Once the other youkai was off, she situated the girl onto the cot, instantly reaching for the small bowl of water on the nightstand, pulling out the rag that was within it, since Yumi made sure that the bowls' were refilled everyday with fresh water. She twisted it, causing most of the water to fall back into the bowl, before laying it out on the girl's forehead, watching as Higurashi turned her head to the side, her eyes moving quickly underneath her eyelids.

Another woman, one with white coat hanging off her shoulders came bursting into the room, her black eyes searching the room for a moment, before she moved to the side of the woman sitting next to a small looking ningen girl. The kitsune felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand for a moment, her eyes watching the power unseen to everyone else sizzle in the air around the girl, obviously out of control at this moment. For only a moment her eyes moved to Katana, smirking a little as she remembered when they used to play shogi (Japanese chess) together on cold nights during the winter. What fun times those had been; of course, that was also the time that the students got to spend their winter vacation merely sitting around the school doing nothing, so what else were they supposed to do. The black inu never like the fact that she could never beat her, since she was a master of trickery and deception. True, Katana could say she was trained by the best, but she played shogi like a beginner, even after all the times she'd tried to teach her. Then again, Katana was more suited for the assassin's life then merely sitting around playing shogi all day.

oOo

He narrowed his eyes, eyeing her seat briefly, before wondering what exactly had happened to her? Surely she hadn't been overcome by some deadly illness, since she'd seemed perfectly fine this morning. It wasn't like he'd mind her suddenly dropping dead, but what had caused her to not come to class? Yes, he'd heard the scream her friend, the neko, gave off, which told him that she had been in trouble, but before he could even stand from his seat to help – no idea why he'd thought of doing so in the first place – Professor Katana had already been out the door, and yelling for them to keep quiet, etc. Still, it was unnerving, and he wanted to know what was wrong with her. Not because he was concerned, simply because she might have given whatever she had to him.

Sighing, Sesshoumaru told himself that he didn't care. No, the miko could die, and it would not faze him. Still, he was having trouble with why he was even thinking about it now. Why had he wanted to stand when he'd heard her friend's distress? Why was it that now he felt bad for using her like a puppy's chew toy? Why  **NOW**? He'd hated her a few days ago, what had changed? Nothing, that's what. Really, though, why was he suddenly so concerned about her – no, no, hold on a minute. He was not concerned, was he? Surely he was not! He, Sesshoumaru, concerned for a pitiful, useless, sniveling, piece of ningen flesh by the name of Kagome! No! Then why did his chest feel like he was suddenly stricken with guilt? Like if he knew she was going to die then he needed to tell her that he did not hate her as much as she seemed to think. Perhaps he was getting soft… yeah, that had to be it.

His eyes narrowed a fraction when he heard his beast beginning to speak with him once more. He might have looked only seventeen to eighteen years old, but he was far older, since it took around fifty years for an inuyoukai to be able to master their abilities and actually hang out in schools and other public places without their parents around to keep them in line. However, once that age had passed for both him and Inuyasha his father had sent them off to a nice school, before sending them off to this strange place. However, it seemed this place was affecting him more then he'd first thought, since his beast was usually under such a tight hold that it could not even muster a sound, let alone talk to him freely. Either that or he shoved it into the back of his thoughts, making sure that instinct did not control him at all.

 _You really need to get over this high and mighty act, master,_ the animal said, nearly looking as if it were examining its claws in his mind's eye.  _Of course you're concerned for the miko Kagome. After all, you said it yourself, you want to get her to leave the school on her own because she cannot stand you. How are you to do this when she is gone, perhaps, forever?_

Rubbing his temples, Sesshoumaru muttered a small, "Leave me be" into the air, before resting his forehead on his hands. That would not stop the baka creature that roamed through his thoughts, however, for it suddenly probed into his few days of memories, pulling out the image of Kagura hissing about how he wanted a ningen over a demoness. That was never going to happen, but really, why would he pick a wind demoness, since they were to be free, and his mate would be obedient and nearly caged? His mate would be a shadow, merely baring him pups' when the time came, pleasing his body when he wanted to receive, and simply being there to get rid of his stresses, but other then that his mate would be nothing but a solemn shadow that no one saw without him nearby.

The animal shook its head a little, before continuing,  _now, why would I wish to do such a thing? Hm? Perhaps it is you who should leave **me**  be? After all, this beast is merely trying to help you come to terms with the fact that you are attracted to the miko's power, and will; and the fact that she is pretty and smells nice does not need to be added, since I know for a fact you enjoy that as well._

 _I care for no such things,_ Sesshoumaru hissed.  _The miko cannot compare to the raw beauty of a de—_

 _Yeah, yeah,_ it scowled,  _and where have we heard this before, master? Hm? Perhaps a certain wind demoness who continues to stalk your every movement! The same demoness who was thrown into a wall by said miko._

Sesshoumaru hissed again, choosing to ignore the baka. The miko was powerful, but he did not find anything about her attracting, did he? Perhaps he was merely trying to deny it. Then again, he'd denied many things in his life, so what did he care? Nothing. Yes, nothing seemed like a good word to this situation. He cared nothing for Higurashi Kagome, therefore he did not care about her heath, or well being, and with that finally brought out into the open he wondered why the hell his beast would lie to him in such ways—

_You do know that ignoring me helps with nothing, right?_

—When had the beast lost its mind, and where the hell was he when it happened? Surely he would have been there to see it, for it would have been a very entertaining view. Well, of course he would have been there, they were from the same body, but maybe he just hadn't noticed it before. Kind of like the beast's lying, since this was actually the first time he'd ever witness it lie to him in his face, not literally, like it was no big thing. That brought him back to the denial thing, since he knew he did not hate the miko completely, he told himself that often, but had he become attached to her in some way over the short time they'd been near each other? No, for he would have noticed it, or at least been able to… dear kami, he'd come to terms with the fact that he didn't hate the miko completely, which meant that he could very well be denying  _feelings_  that he might have for her. No, he mustn't think that way. No!

_Hey, can you hear me? Are you even listening to me?_

Giving another sigh, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, trying to make the thoughts go away. With his beast continuing to try and get his attention, his head beginning to throb with a headache, and the fact that he knew something must be wrong with the miko… kami, his life was beginning to suck. However, he would not crack before Kagome did, no. There was a perfectly logical explanation as to why he was not going to, too.

He cared nothing, end of story!

oOo

Yumi touched her forehead, looking over at the small neko-youkai, before saying, "Are you sure she only touched the painting? Nothing more. No channeling of miko energy, or anything like that. I've heard that the Higurashi line as a bit of youkai blood within their veins, she could be experiencing a sudden outburst of demonic energy inside her body, but I'm not detecting anything…" She gave a sigh, before pulling her hand away from the burning forehead of the young miko, before looking over at the elder demoness now standing off to the corner. "And you, Katana," she said, "did you witness anything that didn't seem  _normal_  when this happened?"

Katana huffed, turning her eyes toward the window, before replying, "What is normal inside this school anymore?"

Shaking her head Yumi gave a small laugh, before saying, "Its nice to see you have a sense of humor. I always thought you were nothing but a stiff to the very core." Seeing Katana tense up, Yumi turned her attention back to her newest patient, before clicking her tongue on the inside of her mouth, mumbling, "You have not answered my questions, yet, Kirara."

Kirara nodding, before saying, "Hai, she only touched the painting briefly, I believe. I don't know of anything else, since I'd came back from checking the others painting for her – we'd been looking around – and I'd come back to tell her we'd better get to class… well, when this happened." The bell rang, but she remained seated, eyeing Kagome as she began to wriggle in her sleep upon the hard looking cot, her hands clenching into fists around the bed sheet below her.

Katana continued to seem oblivious to this all, before saying, "Well, you've caused me to miss my class. Good going, Yumi."

Yumi did not reply, instead checking Kagome's pulse once more, before bringing her hand up to cup her chin in thought. Eyeing her over once more, she nodded to herself, before saying, "Magical Overload."

Blinking her dark blue eyes, Katana asked, "What? Surely that is not what has happened to the girl. I don't even think she can do the simplest of spells. Barriers, yes, sacred arrows, maybe, purification, but nothing that could actually be considered  _magical_."

Yumi looked at Katana through the corner of her eye, before repeating, "Magical Overload."

"Um," Kirara began. She did not get to finish, however, for the two elder youkai faced off in a staring contest, Katana repeating over that she did not think it was possible, before Yumi continued to repeat what she believed Kagome was experiencing. So, she merely sighed a little, listening as they fought, before taking the rag from Kagome's forehead, placing it back into the water, before placing it back onto her very hot skin. Still, she couldn't help the next sigh that came from her, since these two, what seemed to be, respectable females' were fighting over something so… well…

Lifting her finger, Katana said, "I will repeat myself once more, Yu—"

"Katana," Yumi snapped. "Enough of this." She watched as the black inu suddenly stopped, her eyes widening a little, before she narrowed her eyes once more. However, she did not allow her to continue, saying, "Back in ancient times, when miko were more often seen purifying youkai, they used to have what they called, a 'Holy Overload', which was induced when a miko, such as Kagome here, channeled too much energy through the body in a short amount of time. This usually only happened whenever the miko had not been trained well, or had not used so much energy at one time in a few months, or more, since they needed to use it at small amounts before trying to do larger things, using them for larger amounts of time.

"In today's medical field, however, we do not use the term, 'holy' anymore. We simply call it a 'Magical Overload', since like the spells and things you do; it channels and reacts the same way to certain things around you. When either a youkai or miko now-a-day's uses too much of their energy at one time when they have not practiced in a while, they go into a fever like state that lasts for a certain amount of days, before it breaks off, the person finally awakens, and merely needs some nourishment, and perhaps some tea to calm their nerves. For now," Yumi continued, "since it is obvious to me that Ms. Higurashi is having a ' _Magical_ Overload', perhaps when she touched the painting, since the spells and enchantments placed on this school for so many years could have been attracted to her like a moth to a flame, and channeled itself throughout her body, since it is also obvious to me that it is this little miko who has been giving some of the teachers' quite a fright with her little shows of power. It tells me that she has been in practice, but something suddenly entered her body when she had not expected it, and she fainted, before going into this state."

She watched Katana's reaction, knowing that the black inuyoukai female could easily be set off by her show of dominance in the room. However, she was the medical expert, she was the one who spent nearly her entire life learning the different kinds of herbs and medicines to make others healthy, while also studying new things that could help others as they became apart of the world. She knew more about this subject then Katana, but she watched as the eyes of the demoness narrowed, before she gave a stiff nod, obviously not wishing to know she was right, but agreeing anyway. So, she set out to make the girl comfortable, tucking her into the cot, and hoping that within a few days the fever would break, and the girl would open her eyes.


	12. Gone With the Wind

Ivy blinked down at the girl, her eyes soft and concerned for the ningen miko sleeping soundly. Her fever had broken but a few hours before, but she'd been lying in that bed for over a week, and their concern was growing bit by bit. Of course, she was going to tell the miko's teachers' to give her extra time to finish her assignment, that way she could get them done and out of the way in time. Then again, she was Sakura's daughter, and knowing her, she'd been done with it within a few days. Still, she watched, silently, as if she were a hawk hunting its prey, as the neko at her side continued to sleep, the inuyoukai male continuing to mutter to himself that he should leave her alone he wasn't concerned for her. They would also need to have their assignments given more time, since the neko-youkai, Kirara, had been there since the day Kagome had fallen into this stage, and the inuyoukai, Sesshoumaru, had been there since three days afterward, asking if Kagome'd awakened yet. He'd been by her side ever since, and it pleased her to know that Kagome was not only being cared for, but had someone who was concerned around her.

Her eyes moved to the window, gazing out into the beauty of the forest beyond the wall, before shifting them back to the girl once more. It was strange, the girl should have awakened, yet she continued to sleep, her sudden sickness obviously gone, but something else happening to her. A few times during the night Ivy had almost thought some type of spirit had come for the girl, since she'd glowed with a white sheen, but she'd soon come to realize it was merely the demonic side of the girl showing in her weakened state. Yumi had told her, but it seemed that even though the girl only had a few ancestors' with youkai blood, she had grown claws, and fangs, but nothing more. Other then that she seemed perfectly normal. She knew, however, that she'd have to tell Sakura about this, since she'd once been told that only a few Higurashi's had even been known to show the youkai trait after some many years, something about the blood being more powerful in one person rather then another.

Her ears caught the sound of Katana's boots as the woman came near, and she watched as the boy, Sesshoumaru, turned his head, obviously sensing that the elder inu was coming. However, at almost the same time, Yumi stepped into the room, her modern day clothing hanging off her loosely, while they came to stand at her side. Sesshoumaru merely turned his head back to watch the girl in her sleep, while she looked to both women, noticing how even in the soft candlelight they seemed to be so wary that even with ningen eyes she could have seen their concern. Both of them came to check on the miko frequently. Yumi because she was the Medical Wing's best healer, and Katana because she had come up with a few ways to make the miko drink in her sleeping state. All things she'd learned and almost forgotten.

Ivy closed her eyes for a moment, before motioning to both women toward the door. Without making much sound they moved away from the young miko's bedside, never realizing that red, and golden eyes watched them as they went through the doors, locking them until they were finished. Not that their conversation wasn't something they wouldn't be able to hear, but they wished to think at this moment that the children inside would not be able to over hear their conversation on Higurashi Kagome.

Sesshoumaru and Kirara eyed the door, before standing quite suddenly. Together they moved like stalking predators, pressing their ears to the door, knowing that once they heard the click of the lock they'd need to use demonic speed to return to their places. For now, however, they listened as the elder youkai began speaking about the miko's sudden changes, about how it would affect her life, and how they wondered what else could have changed besides her nails and teeth. Perhaps her hearing, her taste, her thirst for blood; no one knew, except for Kagome, who continued to sleep on peacefully, yet turning in her sleep when she became uncomfortable.

Sesshoumaru still did not know what he was doing there. He'd been given food, and drink each day as if he were the patient, no one telling him that he needed to go back to class, or sleep in his own bed. No, they treated him as if he should be there, yet the only reason he was really there was because his stupid beast had nagged him until he finally decided to go see if the fucking miko was all right, to which he found out she'd channeled too much energy throughout her body, which caused her to suddenly 'overload', as they put it. So, even though he had not told them, it was apparently his fault, or the paintings, that the miko was put into that state, and it had been quite amusing to watch her weak ningen body try to fight off its sudden fever. Then, just like a snap of the fingers, in a few brief moments that he'd actually fell asleep in order to allow his body a little rest, her fever had broken, and she should have gotten right up, and starting yelling at him for even thinking about trying to be near her. Yet, she continued to sleep on, which was around the time her new fangs and nails set in.

He pressed his ear a little closer, sensing the magical barrier that  **should**  have stopped them from hearing well, which was true, since he could only make out short bits and pieces. His golden eyes flickered to the miko on the bed for a moment, watching as she groaned, stretched a little in her sleep, before turning onto her left side, her arms falling in front of her. Kami, he hoped to kami that he never had to watch her do that again, since he'd seen it so many times. He'd come to realize that he hadn't been in denial, he just had to make sure the damn miko was ok because of his honor, since he'd known that she'd been pushed to the limit the day she'd decided to stop  _helping_  him. Yet, he was still here.

Kirara let out a smell hiss, pressing closer to the door. She could feel Kagome's aura fill the room suddenly, and the small bit of a youkai presence seemed to hauntingly float through it, its form seeming to disappear and reappear within Kagome's vast aura. However, she did notice how it seemed to situate itself around Sesshoumaru, completely annoying the hell out of the inuyoukai heir, to which she was greatly pleased. Her hiss was not only because of that, but because she'd sensed Yumi step a little closer to the door, obviously sensing their presence on the other side. Not that it mattered.

 _Damn wench,_ he thought, casting a glare over toward the girl on the bed. Yes, he was making sure she was all right, but once she was, he was out of there. Especially since she'd seemed to recognize his aura in her sleep, and was now trying to push him into leaving, in her fucking sleep! Obviously she did not like the idea of him being there, or maybe it was the miko side of her, who knew, but the feeling was mutual and he could not wait to walk out that door in the morning, tomorrow, whenever the wench decided to wake herself. He hoped it was soon, because he was starting to think of ways he could possibly kill her without anyone noticing. Then again, his honor wouldn't allow that. Stupid honor.

On the outside of the door, Ivy smiled a little at the attempts of the two youkai, knowing that they were trying to listen as they spoke of what might have happened to Higurashi Kagome. After all, it was important to know all the facts, and Kagome was indeed one of the children who were affected by her small amount of youkai blood, which meant a number of things could have happened. She could have suddenly gained advanced hearing; she might start acting like a trickster, or perhaps a kin-inu (gold dog) since they were the only type of youkai within her line; she might be able to move more quickly with advanced speed. Anything that might have been advanced in her body needed to be known about, which was why Katana was there, since Ms. Kumo was going to take back her place as the History Teacher, so that Katana could go back to her Training Class. Katana would have to make sure to check the miko regularly, even though she seemed rather upset that she was the one who'd have watch over the miko's progress.

"Of course I'll do it," Katana sighed. "Its just… well, it means I'll have to watch all the students more carefully. After all, I do have to take on all of the new students at the same time."

"Hai," Yumi said, nodding, "but you've been doing it for years, Katana. You can keep up the good work."

"Your cheeriness does nothing to help my mood, Yumi, give it up," Katana replied, shaking her head at the other youkai. However, it did nothing to stop Yumi from merely giving her a smile that told of many tricks that could be pulled throughout the year. Besides, the kitsune was what gave her a little excitement during the boring school year with her tricks and whatnot.

"Good," Ivy gave a short nod, before giving another far away look.

"Ivy," Katana called, "Ivy, are you all right?" She waved her hand in front of the jackal's face, before watching as she shook her head a little, blinking like it was going out of style, before staring at her until realization came to her eyes.

"Gomen," Ivy sighed herself. "I have been having many visions in the last week, or so. At least, more so then usual, and my mind has been rather focused on them."

"Perhaps you should use the mirror I gave to you, Ivy," Yumi suggested, smiling.

Ivy nodded, before turning on her heel, "I believe I will, Yumi, arigatou. It does, after all, help me wonders with my always-moving thoughts. After all, they just seem to be  _sucked_  right out of my head." She laughed, listening as Yumi laughed as well, while Katana merely snorted once more, and she allowed her quick transportation to form, seeming to disappear into thin air.

Katana turned back to the door, before saying rather loudly, "What should we do now, Yumi? Should we go back inside, and see how the girl is doing now, or perhaps we should merely go to bed and unlock the doors in the morning?" She knew that both youkai inside had heard her, for though they moved nearly silently back to their seats, they were rather loud on their end because of her barrier. Did they really think she would set up a barrier that was faulty? Perhaps once in a while, but not when it came to merely trying to see what they did when the conversation wasn't really that bad, or secretive, for their ears.

The kitsune raised an eyebrow, before saying, "Well, I do sleep in that nice cozy bed on the other side of the room in order to keep an eye on my patients, Katana. I do believe I'm going inside, should you decide to merely stay out here, then by all means, stay." Yumi put the key into the lock, twisting it to the right, before pushing aside the piece of wood that came down across the doors. Once she'd pulled the door open, since they swung both ways, she dipped her head to Katana saying, "'Night, Katana."

"Goodnight, Yumi," Katana replied. However, she stopped dead in her tracks at Yumi's next words, before sending the woman quickly ducking into the room a death glare that  **could**  have frozen hell over if they were there. That kitsune would get her ass kicked the next time she said that to her back!

Yumi, smirking like a true trickster, poked her head out once more, before calling out, "Good dog, stay out there! And remember, no barking in the middle of the night!" If she wasn't youkai she wouldn't have been able to duck inside as quickly as she did, nor would she have moved past both the children with grace you could only be born with, quickly going to her own chambers before Katana decided to come inside and strangle. She wasn't planning on becoming her own patient on that day, but she couldn't help what came natural to her.

Sesshoumaru watched this with a smirk, before it turned into a frown when his eyes came to rest on the miko once more. Speaking of her, he'd need to tell her soon enough that she would need a bath, since her fever had caused her to sweat, which caused her normal scent to be covered in salt, and it didn't smell good anymore. In fact, she sort of smelt like a wet inu. For now he continued to watch her, not knowing that the next morning she'd awaken, her eyes only seeing him as he moved out of the room in a hurry to make sure she couldn't catch sight of him.

oOo

That was odd. Things seemed to be brighter for some reason. Was someone shining a light in her face? Why would someone do that? Ok, she could understand why Sesshoumaru would do it, but he shouldn't have been in the girl's dorm, unless… ew…  _Bad thoughts, Kagome, bbbaadddd thoughts,_ she scolded herself, her eyes beginning to open, before she snapped them shut once more, never noticing how bright it was in the morning. Kagome groaned a little, hearing something quite loud suddenly move to their feet, walking away from her, but the sound seemed to echo, instead of merely getting fainter as it used to. What the hell was wrong with her? Where was her alarm clock, for that matter?

Opening her eyes again, Kagome caught the faint sight of silver hair as someone left the room rather quickly. However, when she looked around she realized she wasn't in her dormitory, and she could feel something really sharp against her tongue as she scraped it against… fangs? Were those fangs? What the hell happened to her?

"Kagome, Kagome," directed her attention to the neko-youkai at her side. She raised an eyebrow, and watched as Kirara suddenly hugged her, her face being pressed into her stomach. She glanced around briefly, wondering where she was, and why Kirara was there… and she only knew two people with silver hair that went to the school. Surely Sesshoumaru or Inu-whats-his-name wouldn't have been there if… if… However, she turned her attention back to her friend when she began talking once more. "Oh, kami, Kagome, you've been out for days!" caused her to blink in surprise, noticing just how finer Kirara seemed to look. She looked new, brighter, shinier… she felt like she was looking through another person's eyes, and this was so totally not cool.

She even felt a little… mischevious… yet calmed and relaxed.

"Kirara," she whispered, afraid of her own voice. She breathed in, only to get a huge whiff of something she'd never smelt before and before she could stop herself she leaned down and sniffed at Kirara, noticing that the scent had come from her. She sniffed again, and sure enough she could smell stuff she couldn't smell before, and within moments she felt like she was going to become sick. "Kirara, what's happened to me?"

Kirara frowned, before saying, "Well, Kagome. You fainted, and then Yumi – the healer – said that you had some type of magical overload, and your body went into a state where it tried to correct itself, or something, and your temperature continued to rise until you were well over your bodies limit, and we were almost afraid you weren't going to make it, but then you suddenly stopped having the fever, and then… then…"

"Then what?" Kagome whispered, staring down at her. She'd noticed the piece of hair that had fallen into her face, and wondered if it was her own, since it was a bit darker in color, yet it seemed to be attached to her head. Yup, must have been hers.

"Professor Ivy said that those paintings, with the youkai in them Kagome, were your ancestors, just your mother didn't want to tell you about them until she was  _sure_ ," Kirara made little quotes in the air with her fingers. "So… then… well… the small amount of youkai blood that's been inside your body has awakened, and now… well… you're kind of a fifth youkai… maybe a fourth. You still look the same, but Yumi, and Professor Ivy think you might have developed either kitsune or inu skills."

And that was how her new, most awful day began. All right, maybe there was more, like Kirara telling her that Sesshoumaru, surprise, had stayed by her side until she began to wake up. According to Kirara it was really weird that he'd showed up at all, and she'd wanted to get to the bottom of it, but not before getting a bath, to which her nose was telling her she needed, quickly. Yumi had checked her over before then, before telling her to use the personal spring she had and she did. Then her worse day began.

oOo

Kagome's eyes strayed from side to side, noticing things she hadn't before, her eyes only sensitive whenever she came near sunlight. However, Yumi had said that was to be expected, but she wasn't so sure at the moment. For now she merely continued to follow after Kirara, since if the youkai hadn't been with her, she would have been left behind for their first class. Many times, however, when someone bumped into her, she felt something inside her stir, and she had to force down many, what she believed to be, growls down her throat.

Then there was that weird feeling she continued to have. She felt like she was looking through the eyes of a thief, a trickster, a person who loved to toy with others lives. That was what she was hoping she didn't feel, since she'd had a small talk with Yumi, and she'd wanted to feel like a kin-inu, but she was beginning to think she'd have to leave those thoughts behind, since she was beginning to… feel… think… a…  _act_  like a kitsune. Good kami, if only she hadn't had the urge to suddenly pickpocket something, to which she did without being caught. She'd have to squash these urges, or be controlled by them is what Yumi had told her, but then again, Yumi had also told her that she might begin experiencing one type of youkai emotion, before her body switching over to what it truly was. So, she'd just have to fight it out for the next few days.

"Come on, Kagome," Kirara called one more, knocking her from her thoughts. She rushed quickly, flinging herself through the classroom doors, to where she crouched against the floor like a thief, her eyes scanning the room before she felt completely embarrassed to see all the students staring at her. Apparently her fainting act was known greatly, and they all wanted to see her, but this was not what she was expecting, which was why she straightened herself and walked over to her seat calmly.

She smiled at Sesshoumaru, before saying, "I heard that you came to see if I was all right while I was  _asleep_." He gave her a bored look as she continued, "Arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama, it means a lot to me."

Sesshoumaru cast her a glance, before glancing around at the people suddenly staring over at them. Growling in the back of his throat, he was surprised when she quite suddenly shrank a little in her seat, growling as well, her fangs exposed. It was strange that she looked ningen, yet she was a bit youkai. "This Sesshoumaru only wanted to make sure he was not the one who caused you to go into such a state. After all, you used a lot of energy while failing to keep Kagura at bay."

Kagome's growling stopped, her head snapping up. Well, that didn't seem kitsune-ish… However, she stared at him, before narrowing her eyes, "So, in other words, you did it to please yourself, instead of coming to see if I was even the slightest bit ok. You didn't even care while you were there, did you, you ego—"

Sesshoumaru sighed, "Iie, miko. I did not, and do not care. Now, would you kindly move that way a bit, you're to close for this Sesshoumaru's tastes?"

Kagome huffed, her eyes going to the side. She felt an emotion she hadn't felt before, something that she was sure inu's felt, a sudden protective nature, but for herself, instead of others. However, she felt him actually kick her, telling her to move her chair over a bit, before she finally growled nice and deep at him, not quite understanding what words were coming from her lips, but knowing that she was saying something about him pissing her off. However, she only received another glare, and a growl from the male's throat.

She continued to stare at the desk, not believing for a moment that he'd come just to please his own mind. How dare that jerk? How dare he sit at her bedside thinking about himself! She turned to look at him once more, noticing how his eyes narrowed a fraction, something she wouldn't have caught with her normal eyes, before she turned her head away once more. Well, any amount of kindness she'd been expecting was officially gone with the wind.


	13. Skeletons in the Closest

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied, the phone up to her ear. It was the only one within the school, but the students were encouraged to send letters to brothers', sisters', and other family member. She sighed, before nodding to herself, saying, "I believe that she might gain some of both youkai species. It's not uncommon for youkai with mix-breeds to act a bit differently in different situations."

" _You will watch over her, won't you, Ivy?_ " came the female voice on the other end. She heard the woman give a very soft sigh, before she continued, " _I was afraid that she might be one of the special few in our line to get youkai traits. I just had this feeling that she would be since she was so powerful in spiritual energy. Perhaps I should have thought more about it before I allowed her to come to the school, Ivy. Do you think what I did was wrong? I mean, maybe she isn't ready. I could have thrown her into the lions den by allowing her to enter those doors._ "

Ivy listened intently, before thinking a few moments after her friend had stopped. She was not sure how to reply to that. Perhaps Sakura had been wrong to send Kagome here, but then again, it might have been the best thing she could have done. Everyone had skeletons in their closet; it wasn't unnatural that Sakura might have allowed one of them to come forward, especially while she continued to speak. "I do not know, Sakura," she said, "but I will make sure that I watch over her the best I can."

" _Arigatou,_ " Sakura mumbled. Her voice seemed to grow quiet, though, as she said, " _It is strange, though, isn't it? I mean my daughter has been fighting with the heir to the West, while I had been the best friend of his father. Hm, and then you're thinking about placing them together. Very strange, indeed."_

Ivy smiled, before saying, "I must agree, it is quite strange."

She knew that Sakura was probably smiling on the other end as well, when she said, " _Hai, but I believe that Kagome will be able to bring out the best in that cold inu. After all, she's done miracles before with so many others._ "

"Lets hope so, Sakura," Ivy replied, "let's hope so."

" _That's all we can hope for, isn't it, Ivy,_ " Sakura said?

"Hai."

" _Still, that inu needs Kagome. After all, he is so different from his father. I mean from what I've heard he's grown colder then the hardest block of ice. Perhaps you should put them together just so Kagome's inner fire can melt him free of his current imprisonment? I'm sure his father would thank you for it._ "

"Hai, perhaps I should," Ivy laughed, hearing the light giggling of her friend on the other line.

oOo

She growled again, feeling him push her chair to the side. Her eyes bled a little on the outside, the red haze filling her eyes as she continued to growl on instinct. It had continued to rumble from her chest, her nose taking in deep breaths of air whenever she needed it. Other then that she merely turned her eyes toward the board, listening to the teacher as she talked about this and that. Ok, she wasn't listening, Sesshoumaru was just to annoying for her tastes, and he needed to fuck off. Especially now that they'd have to work together for the next week thanks to Ms. Kumo, he needed to learn that when you mess with a female for this long. His stupid foot continued to hit her chair whenever he growled back at her, his own eyes narrowed further then she'd ever seen them.

Ms. Kumo sighed, glancing over at the pair. She'd need to tell Ivy about this, since she was positive that the girl was more inu then kitsune. After all, it'd quickly spread throughout the entire school, at least through the teachers, that the girl needed to be watched until they could determine what she was going to act like each day throughout the year. She could only hope it was a kin-inu; she didn't need another trickster in her class. She got enough trouble out of Inuyasha. That boy needed a good backhanding, but only his father would be allowed to do such a thing. She could only give detention!

Besides, if the girl were an inu then she'd be calmer, more submissive because that's what instincts told her to do. Female inuyoukai, no matter what breed, were usually calmer, gentler then males, to which she was hoping for. She was sure that some of the other teachers, probably Mr. Evens most of all, were hoping that should she take on one trait more then another that it would be inu. After all, kitsune were so hard to deal with if they weren't raised correctly. They were tricky thieves who needed to be beat more then Inuyasha. However, after she thought about this she concluded that both Taisho brothers' were grating on her nerves and she might just send them off to Katana should they continue with their current path.

"Knock it off," she hissed, her voice lower then usual. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw him watching her with a strange glow in his eye. Something within her seemed to groan when seeing it, for she was sure she'd seen it somewhere before. Where? She didn't know, but she knew that she'd seen it somewhere and that she needed to be careful when that glow became stronger. Then again, she could just be imagining things again.

Sesshoumaru snorted, saying, "Move and this Sesshoumaru might think about it, female."

"Oh, so now we're calling each other by sexes, huh?" she growled, her voice lower then a whisper. She felt him kick her chair once more and let out a loud growl, which was replied by Ms. Kumo slamming her chalk against the board before turning to them. She wore that type of smile that seemed sweeter then hell but told you to run for the hills before you got bit.

"Alright," Ms. Kumo said, "I've had enough. You two seemed to have forgotten that this is a classroom. I'm going to hate to see your first assignment turned in late because you two can't get along. So, get out."

"What?" Sesshoumaru asked, his head snapping up in surprise. Was he getting into trouble? No, no, no, only Inuyasha got into trouble. There was no way he was getting into trouble because of a stupid miko who was acting like she was PMSing. If he didn't love the woman figure as much as he did he'd probably hate the bitch simply because she was a woman. God, damn it, he'd just called her a bitch again, which was what, twice? He didn't know, but he knew that he wouldn't consider her one if he hadn't gotten onto her bad side like he had. Then again, if she was becoming part inu then she was technically a bitch.

"You heard me, Mr. Taisho," she replied. "I want you both out of my classroom this instant. Should you return I expect that both of you are behaving nicely to each other. If it happens again, well, I'm sure detention will get you both out of the mood. Especially when I assign it for more then a few days. Do I make myself clear? I want you both behaving like… like… like friends when you return."

She stood without a word, bowing to the teacher before her before grabbing her bag and moving toward the door. Once there she opened it a crack and slipped out, never noticing that everyone within the classroom was staring at her. Her eyes were saddened, actually, for she didn't understand why Sesshoumaru hated her so much. Surely it wasn't something she'd done, since she hadn't really done anything to him. At all. There had to be a reason that he hated her so much, or maybe he didn't hate her, maybe he just didn't enjoy her company. Sighing, she thought,  _Oh, but that's nearly the same thing, isn't it? I guess I'll just never understand him._

She heard the door shut softly a few moments afterward, and moved next to a wall by listening to her clicking shoes echo off them. Once there she turned and allowed her back to connect with it before sliding down the surface. She needed to meditate so badly, she was positive that would clear her mind. Or at least Kagome hoped, since it wasn't everyday – ok, so far it was everyday – that Sesshoumaru was on her ass. He felt like he was death nipping at her heels no matter how fast or how far she ran.

"It seems you've once again caused this Sesshoumaru to do something he did not wish to do, miko," Sesshoumaru said, staring down at her as she leaned against the wall at her back. She ignored him, bringing her arms up onto her suddenly cross legs, before breathing deeply, obviously wishing to block the world out. Well, she wasn't going to block him out, "Miko!"

Her voice was calmer, as she said, "What?"

"Do not ignore this Sesshoumaru," he snapped.

Her eyes opened to show off her blue eyes, now flecked a little with gold as she glared. Her eyes, however, turned softer, as she whispered, "I really don't want to fight with you, Sesshoumaru. Why don't you just leave me alone? Or why don't you try to open up more? I'm sure you'd be able to make friends that way." She smiled sadly, "Though, to me, it doesn't seem like you want friends at all, actually. It seems like you want to shut everyone out. Especially your brother, though I can't blame you there after he called me a wench. Maybe you don't want to talk about it, or maybe you simply don't want anyone else getting close to you, but I've learned that no matter what you are you need to learn how to agree with others in order to continue with life. You deny everything; you push it away and disagree whenever you can. It's amazing you've survived this far."

"My father would not allow me to die so easily, miko," he replied, his voice softer as he listened to her speak. "After all, this Sesshoumaru is the heir to the Western Lands, my father would do anything in order to keep me alive."

"So I've heard," she smiled, her eyes drooping a bit. She yawned, her mouth opening to show off her new set of fangs, before she said, "I wonder why I'm so tired?"

"Did you sleep last night?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking up at him in surprise. He was looking down at her with that glow again, and she blinked at him in wonder. Her mouth turned from a smile to a frown instantly, and she knew that he was curious about her constant change in emotion, but she was focused more on that soft glow behind his eyes. She'd never seen that before.

"This Sesshoumaru does not repeat himself," he frowned, his face turning to that look a parent would give a child when they'd done something wrong. He didn't even know he knew that look, but after seeing the miko merely give a giggle, he said, "Did you sleep last night?"

"Yea," she replied. "I was passed out, remember. Well, I did wake up, but other than that I was asleep the entire time. I don't know why I'm so tired. After sleeping that long I should want to stay up, shouldn't I?"

"Perhaps it is your body," he said. "You might need rest in order to change completely. Your instincts, that is."

"Maybe," she said, her eyes lowering more. "May _be_ …"

Sesshoumaru shook his head lightly, his eyes taking on a haunted look as he remembered what she had said. He couldn't remember when he'd first begun to shun others, he just remembered that for some reason he didn't want others getting to close to him. Perhaps she was right… He snorted again, his eyes narrowing in anger. She was a miko; there was no way in hell she was right about something like that. They'd only known each other for a few days at the most, there was no way that she knew that much about him. And if she did that meant he needed to get rid of her quicker then before, or she'd probably wiggle her way into his heart and then hurt him in the end.

oOo

Her eyes opened a little, her head a little light as she breathed inward, before exhaling. When she raised her head, though, she blinked away the sudden cloudiness, before glancing around. When she looked to her right, however, her eyes widened completely, her heart nearly stopped as golden eyes stared straight at her emotionlessly. Giving a small 'eep' she scrambled away from him, looking over to make sure that it was Sesshoumaru, before continuing to stare at him. Once she got her beating heart to calm down, finally falling back into her chest from its new location in her throat, she quickly asked, "W-what are you doing?"

"You should be grateful, miko," Sesshoumaru replied, a slight roll of his eyes. "You could have cracked your skull because you were so careless as to fall asleep at the beginning of our current situation and leaning to one side. You nearly fell over and on this floor this Sesshoumaru is positive you could have easily cracked your skull open."

"Wow," she replied, "you stopped me from cracking my head open."

"Iie, Ms. Kumo did," he replied. "She came out to check on us and saw that you were beginning to fall over and ordered this Sesshoumaru to  _rescue_ you or I would have been given detention for the rest of the month. Personally, this Sesshoumaru was beginning to think detention would have been a better option. Now, kindly get ready, miko, the bell shall ring in about two minutes."

"Amazing," she said, her cloudiness coming back.

Confused, he asked, "What are you talking about now, miko?"

"You're saying more then two to three words at a time for an explanation. Its amazing," she whispered, her hand reaching out toward the wall in order to get herself to her feet. However, she slipped forward, and almost instantly Sesshoumaru's hands clasped down on her forearms, pulling her completely to her feet as he moved away, his face twisting to look down the corridor.

There was a small sigh, before she heard, "You should be more careful, miko. We wouldn't want you to have  _another_  accident in the same week." Kagome bristled at that, her hair nearly standing on end as she opened her mouth to ask him what the fuck he meant by that. However, before she could another sound blocked her off, but made her jump completely awake at last as she raced off toward another classroom.

She needed to destroy that bell.

**First Run**

"It's such a shame—"

"Hey, maybe I could read while I run," Kagome yelled over her voice, causing the neko to sigh in response. Kagome glanced over at her, frowning, before asking, "What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Hey, Kirara," Kagome giggled, "I actually had an intelligent conversation with Sesshoumaru. It was amazing. Of course, I was a little tired during that time, so I don't remember most of it, but I do remember saying something about not wishing to fight with him and explaining why I thought he doesn't get along with others… or something like that."

"Really," Kirara gasped? "Oh my, god, Kagome, are you sure you weren't dreaming," she laughed.

"That's not funny," Kagome growled, her feet moving quickly. She wasn't tired anymore, in fact she felt great and for some reason she'd ran nearly twice as much as she had any other day. Perhaps being part youkai wouldn't be that bad. It had great features that came with it.

"Isn't that that freakish miko who suddenly collapsed in the middle of a hallway?"

Then again, it kind of sucked. She could hear everyone of the comments people sent toward her. She could feel their eyes upon her as they continued to say things about how and why she fainted. Some were worse then others, but it was still getting on her nerves and she'd nearly wanted to cry when she'd first heard someone call her a freak simply because she was a from a miko family but she had youkai who weren't killed during the mating process within her family line as well. She wouldn't understand, no, she couldn't understand why they just couldn't get over the fact that she was both. Living, breathing, and able to hear what they were saying.

"Don't listen to them, Kagome," Kirara hissed, "They're a bunch of bakas'."

"I know, but a part of me wants to start stealing things from them or pull pranks, while another part of me wants to rip out their throats… and then another part merely wants to run and hide," Kagome whispered, her voice betraying the emotions she was trying to pass off at the moment. "I mean, they don't even know me, and it makes something within me burn with anger."

Kirara nodded in understanding. She noticed how Kagome's stride began to lessen, and decided to change the subject. "So, um, why do you think Sesshoumaru blocks everyone else out so much? Hm? You never told me why."

"Oh, well—"

"Kagome," came another voice. Kagome turned to find Sango, Miroku, and two boys' she didn't know rushing toward her. A part of her told her to stay and welcome them, another part told her to trick them, while another told her to merely ignore them. Which one? Hm… She decided to turn and smile, ignoring most of the comments while allowing them to come forward. Sango was the first to reach her side by saying, "Oh, I'm so happy to see you're alright, Kags. I was so worried after I heard you'd suddenly fainted in the middle of a corridor. I do hope you're ok, you are, aren't you?"

Seeing Kirara smile when she turned to her, she said, "I'm fine, Sango. I feel great, in fact. I feel kind of like I could eat a horse," and then she whispered, "I probably could at this point."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," Kagome smiled.

"Kagome," came a male voice, "Kagome."

"Oh, hai, Miroku?" Kagome said, turning to him. She gave a smaller smile, noticing how the boy's eyes had to move from downward up to her eyes, before he smiled as well, obviously noticing some things he didn't want him to notice about her.

"I heard that you were going through some changes, Kagome," Miroku coughed, a hand suddenly finding itself onto his back as he did. "I heard from another person in Drama class, ah… your cousin, Kikyo, I believe, that you were beginning to show youkai traits. Is that true?"

"Hai," Kagome said, smiling brightly. Her fangs showed from under her lips, and she heard Sango whistle, while Miroku's eyes widened.

"Amazing," he said.

"So," Kirara intervened, "are you guys going to tell us about your new friends, or leave us in the dark?"

Sango snapped her fingers, "Hai, hai. Gomen, these are Shippo, and Bankotsu, they're both in my Music group. Shippo plays the flute and Bankotsu plays the… ah… I forgot."

Bankotsu, who'd long black hair was braided down his back, showing off his piercing eyes, cunning smirk, and almost youkai looking symbol on his forehead merely told them, "Forget what I play. You won't need to know anyway, I sit way in the back."

They laughed.

**Lunch**

"So, Kagome," Kirara bumped her elbow against Kagome's side. "You never did tell me why you thought Sesshoumaru hid himself from others."

"I didn't," she asked, getting the attention of the others sitting around her. They'd been joined by Jakotsu, who'd drug a rather annoyed, and glaring Inuyasha, who was bent over like a cat wishing to escape from a bath. Smiling, she said, "Alright, I'll tell you. But… then again, maybe I shouldn't."

Inuyasha's ears pricked up, the conversation getting his interest as he ignored the others. He'd rather go back and find Kikyo, who was probably sitting with that stupid Suikotsu. Apparently Kiko had decided to have them play  _Romeo and Juliet_  for their first play, since they'd have four according to her. She'd said they needed to start out with something easy since some of them, she'd glared at him, couldn't seem to understand that it was a drama class. So, he'd tried to get Kikyo to work with him, but instead she ran off to audition with that stupid Suikotsu and even though he'd tried to bribe Kiko she'd given them the leads. So, Kikyo was working with Suikotsu, she'd even get to kiss him. It made his hair stand on end, but this was about Sesshoumaru. This was even better.

"Oh, come on, Kagome, onegai," the others whined. They only had to turn in order to see Sesshoumaru sitting by himself only a table away. Well, with the exception of Kagura hanging all over him with two other girls' at her side, one named Yura, the other Yuri. They only thing keeping them from actually touching him was the acid like barrier that he'd risen around himself, and he seemed rather annoyed with the fact that they were worse then Kagome had been.

"Oh, all right," Kagome, sighed. "Well, everyone has a skeleton in their closet somewhere, don't they?" she saw the others nod, before continuing, "Well, I think that Sesshoumaru might have loved someone, perhaps something so much that when they died they hurt him a lot. Probably his mother. Or maybe he did something so bad that he doesn't want them to know about it now and thus he keeps everything as far away as possible."

"That's it?" Miroku asked.

"Yup," Kagome replied, chirper as ever. Her fangs shined in the lighting, before she picked up another piece of meat and placed it in her mouth. She hadn't touched her fruit yet, but something inside her told her to leave it there and throw it away.

"God, that sucks," Sango said. "I mean, everyone has a skeleton somewhere in their past, Kagome. Even you do. Remember when you told me about when your brother was five, and you ate his birthday cake. Then you attempted to make another one, and when you failed your mother had came home and you blamed your cat, saying that he ate it and that you were trying to make another one and your mom believed you."

Kagome nearly choked, before looking around the suddenly laughing group. She shifted her eyes back and forth, forcing her blush down, before choking out, "I did no such thing."

"Or how about when you told me," Miroku began, "that you had been using your miko powers for the second or third time and you completely destroyed your mother's roses, only to glance around with shifty eyes like you're doing now before walking away slowly. You were around four at the time, I believe, and you didn't want to get in trouble so you said you saw a strange man come and light the flowers on fire before splashing water on them to make the fire go away. Then he left and you were left crying in your room, which you were doing because you hated the man for ruining your mother's favorite plant."

"I did not," Kagome said, slamming her hand against the table. "Hm, how about the first time you, Miroku, went into your brother's bedroom and found him having sex with his newest girlfriend. Did you have the decency to shut the door, no, you went straight downstairs and told your parents, before they raced upstairs, separated the two and told you never to go into your brother's room without knocking first. Hm.

"Or you, Sango, how about the time when you fanta—"

"I don't know what you're talking about Kagome," Sango said, her hand over her friend's mouth. "I think that maybe you're beginning to lose your head." She removed her hand afterward, straightened her shirt, and sat down with as much dignity as she could muster at that time.

"I think the point is we all have things we want to hide, right?" Bankotsu asked, his fork pointing toward them.

"Exactly," Kagome replied. "I mean, I bet even Professor Katana has secrets she doesn't want anyone else to know."

"Sounds interesting," Jakotsu said. "Maybe we should go ask him." There was a tinkle in his eye, as he leaned over toward Inuyasha, "But I'll never give you up my puppy."

"Gah," Inuyasha shook, his body leaning away from the boy's, "stay away from me."

"Oh, you know you like it, puppy!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Well," Bankotsu coughed as they ran off, "at least Jakotsu got someone to keep him occupied."

Miroku nodded, "As long as he doesn't hit on me, I'm all for it."

"Hey," Kirara said, her voice soft once again. "Don't talk that away behind his back. It's not nice, you know."

"Well, well," Kagome tensed, "if it isn't Miss Miko. I see that even though you're beginning to smell a little youkai you're still hanging around with such filth."

"Yeah," Kagome said, growling. "At least I'm not hanging out with used, slutty, trash like you."

Kagura sneered, before saying, "Hm… ningen's are all the same. It would seem, Kagome, that even though your body seems to be trying to better itself you're still at the bottom of the totem pole. Don't even try going after Sesshoumaru now that you've  _changed_. He's mine. Just because you're starting to become different doesn't mean he'd pick up a kitsune."

"I'm not a kitsune," Kagome growled, "Kagura."

"Well, that's the rumor going around." Kagura moved to examine her claws, flicking them out when she scrapped another claw underneath one. "Stay away from pickpocket Kagome, the newest thief of Breeding School High."

"I'm not a thief, Kagura," Kagome growled.

"Yeah," Kirara hissed, "besides, Kagome is and has been acting like more a kin-inu. Though I bet you wouldn't even know what in the hell that is, Kagura."

"Stay out of this neko," Kagura hissed. She turned to Kagome, "Do you need others to fight your battles for you, whore?"

"Take that back," Kagome snarled, her eyes bleeding a bit more then they had earlier that day. Her hair seemed to stand up, "Take that back."

"Why should I?" Kagura laughed.

"Because," she grabbed the daifuku bun off her tray, "I'll shove this so far up your ass that you'll end up eating it."

"Ohhh," Kagura mocked, "I'm really afraid of that."

Yuri, who'd been standing near her the whole time, began to laugh until something unexpected happened. A strange yet nearly soothing smell began to fill the area before quite suddenly the miko flung her arm out and a pinkish blue whip zipped out from nowhere and wrapped around Kagura's throat. Yuri gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as chairs and trays were knocked over by the sudden assault on the wind demoness, Kagura clawing at the whip while the miko merely tugged it tighter.

Kagura whimpered zaps of miko energy coursing through her system in small portions. She noticed that older students were beginning to surround them, and she reached for her fan at her side instead of trying to tear the whip away. However, before her fingers even touch the fan the miko pulled forward, causing her to sprawl out on the floor, her hands reaching out to balance her before suddenly the whip was gone a snarling sound echoing throughout the now quiet cafeteria as she glanced up. Her eyes widened when she saw Sesshoumaru holding the miko by the arms, his hands glowing a faint green as he growled down at her. The miko responded by growling herself, but Sesshoumaru snarled, and the miko whimpered before placing her face on his chest, her eyes glaring over toward her. Kagura glared, her claws reaching for her fan, and as she raised it another whip wrapped around her wrist and pulled and as she turned to attack she saw that Professor Katana was standing behind her, a glare so killer that she felt like shrinking away set on her face, while the Professor tugged again, causing the last of her strength to be pulled from her body before she fell unconscious.

"It would seem that you have everything under control, Mr. Taisho," Katana said. "However, since it seems her inner youkai responses to you, you will be the one to watch her, make sure this does not happen again. If I had not heard what had been said, and saw what happened then I might have decided on expelling these two. However, I will see where this leads and for now these two will be separated by a spell. What do you think, Ivy?"

"Hai," came a reply from the table above. "I believe it is for the best at this point. Those two just can't seem to get along and Ms. Wind continues to wish to make trouble. Now, onegai, everyone, go back to what you were doing. Eat, gossip, just let this one lay for a few days while I think it over."

With that Sesshoumaru turned from them, the small red-eyed miko in his arms continuing to whimper. He growled for her to quiet and listened as she stopped, her clawed hands wrapping around his black shirt, leaving small holes, before he sighed. It seemed that now he needed to tolerate the miko's presence, and if he couldn't then he'd hand her over to Professor Katana for this job. After all, the Professor should have been just as powerful, perhaps more so, her beast should be able to calm the raging one inside the small miko. Then again, she might only respond to a male, which meant they'd need to agree on something for now.

_Damn her._


	14. Unwanted Affection

"Miko," he growled.

Kagome sighed, placing her hands into her lap as she turned her attention toward a very interesting piece of shrubbery not far away. It was the end of the day, and Sesshoumaru insisted that they go outside and try and see what she could now do, but she just… just couldn't get that same feeling that she had during lunch. She couldn't make herself so pissed off that she attacked. Besides, she didn't even know how she'd done it in the first place, the time after her vision turned red – there was just a large gap between then and when her vision returned, she couldn't remember anything else. "I can't do it," she whined, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout.

Sesshoumaru growled once again, "You must learn to control the beast now roaming within you, miko. You must. Do you understand that?"

"Hai, but—"

"Iie, miko," he snapped. "You do not understand. If you understood you would not try to argue against it. Iie, instead you would try and find a way to help this Sesshoumaru, instead of going against everything I say. Should you not gain control then you could end up killing half the student body before I was able to calm you. Personally, I would rather you killed them anyway, but this Sesshoumaru cannot have that, which means I'd have to stop you, but what if you were beyond helping, hm?"

"I-I-Um? I-I don't know," Kagome, whispered, her face still downward. She didn't know where the impulse came from, but something told her to be submissive, to please him. She'd responded to this impulse and simply turned her eyes away from his, instead of facing him with defiance like she knew she would have if this stupid change hadn't happened! She would have fought against him, but it seemed now that she needed him… she needed his help above everything else. She hated it, but it was true.

She'd nearly freaked when she'd found herself in his arms once she'd ' _regained_ ' control, as Professor Katana had told her she had. However, he'd growled, purred perhaps, and she'd calmed before being told that from then on she'd have to deal with the fact that her newly formed beast seemed to respond to him. It seemed that the ' _animal'_ , as Professor Katana had continued to refer to it as, had felt Sesshoumaru was greater in power, perhaps control, strength, or simply because he was a dominant male, but for whatever reason it listened to him, and because of that she was now in his  _care_ , so to speak. After that they'd gone to Training Class, where they'd been given their strange markings, hers was on the back of her hand, before being sent out into the training area. Sesshoumaru had gone with her, trying to teach her how to use her whip, but she just couldn't get it to materialize back into the world, which had caused him to begin barking at her about all this stuff earlier. Now, after an hour outside, perhaps longer, she was once again getting the same speech as before, and if she hadn't felt the need to be submissive to him, well, she'd be screaming her head off that she couldn't do it.

Ironic that her newfound power came with such side affects, wasn't it? It seemed that everything she got in life would come with a downside, and this was just one of them. Then again, it was even more ironic that the same thing that gave her such power was also the thing that continued to point out that Sesshoumaru had really nice hair, his voice made her want to melt, his face was almost painted to perfection, and that he was very, very, very beautiful to the eyes. She could just stare at him for hours; plus, she was also very,  _very_  happy that she was currently angering Kagura even more by simply being with him. That was an upside, but it was still another upside that he was just so beautiful, even if he was a male. Hey, she liked males, couldn't she admire him from afar?

…

 _Oh no, I'm doing it again,_ Kagome tensed.  _Oh my, god, I'm also talking to myself, goddamnit!_  She hated when she did that. She didn't like it whenever she talked to herself, well, unless it was something important, but talking to herself about thinking about Sesshoumaru, that was just going overboard. She needed to stop talking with herself, especially when she wasn't alone and needed to pay attention, but she also needed to stop thinking about Sesshoumaru in such a way.

Was that really so bad, though? Was it really so bad to be sexually attracted to him, even though she hadn't had many lessons on the subject of girlfriend, boyfriend type situations? Was it really that bad to think about him in such a way? He was the son of the Inu no Taisho, he was beautiful; he had to have hundreds of women swooning over him. Was it really so bad that she could also be one of those women? Was it really so bad to want him in such a way, when she knew so many others' did as well?

Her eyes narrowed, her back tensed further like a cat backed into a corner by a couple of cat-hating dogs. Her lips parted and before she knew what she was doing she growled deeply in her throat, the possessive sound catching the male infront of her off guard for a moment. He'd obviously been talking to her while she dealt with her current train of thoughts, but that feeling of possessiveness was powerful, and she hated the fact that so many other women lusted after him when he'd never choose any of them.  _Never_! He'd never choose any of them because he was going to choose  **her**! He-he would! Her claws lengthened, while her fangs seemed to push into her gums; her eyes bled crimson, as she growled, "Mine.  _Mine_.  ** _Mine_**!"

"Higurashi!"

The sound of skin hitting skin echoed throughout the now quiet area, the other students inside doing homework and other various tasks. Sesshoumaru sighed through his nose, almost regretting his actions when the completely quiet girl gave a small sob, her eyes clouding over with tears. However, he forced down the new feelings, and glanced briefly over at his hand, which was now straight away from his body after the blow. After glancing there he looked to see her move her face the other way, her cheek staring straight at him, the four gashes bleeding, her skin cut open from his claws.

Looking away, Sesshoumaru hissed, "What are you doing, girl? I continued to try and get your attention and the next thing this Sesshoumaru knows, you're growling something about 'mine'. We are not here to run away with our thoughts, miko. We are here to help you control your new powers, but it seems that you need time to think upon it." He stood from the ledge he'd seated himself upon earlier, before glaring down at her. "You need to think about what could happen should you not control the power you have. You not only have miko powers, girl, but youkai as well. You could kill yourself, as well as others, if you don't learn how to control both sides. Think about that and find me when you are ready to learn how to control yourself. Until then this Sesshoumaru shall be in the library on the third floor. I believe you know where it is?" After seeing her give a small nod he turned on his heel, moving toward the door that led inside. He couldn't handle staying near her when she obviously didn't want to learn a thing. Perhaps some time alone would get her to see the light on the subject.

Hearing the door close with her advanced hearing, Kagome let the tears fall. She'd held them back, even though a part of her had simply lowered its head and told her to cry, not to worry that he had been there. However, another part had held strong, tried to show him that she was stronger than she appeared to be on the outside. With him gone, however, she began to cry from pain, and from his words, knowing full well that he was correct. The coursed down her cheeks, her fingers coming up to touch her left cheek, hissing lightly when she touched the burning flesh. Sesshoumaru's claws had cut open her skin perfectly, each slash the same width as the last, all of them seeming as if they'd split apart without the help of his razor sharp talons.

He was right, though. She'd once again let the youkai side of her take control, allowing it to show that it wanted more from Sesshoumaru than she'd thought she, herself, had wanted. It didn't just want to think about Sesshoumaru, it wanted Sesshoumaru. For some reason the beast inside of her wanted Sesshoumaru, and she had a bad feeling it was more than just lust, or greed. No, instincts could be so much more than that, and she would need to be careful for the rest of the school year, or she might end up jumping him without knowing it.

She'd need to control the animal now inside of her, because if she didn't there could be serious consequences if she didn't try and get control over it. She could end up doing a number of things when it got loose. A) Losing her virginity to Sesshoumaru, or trying to and getting killed for it, B) killing herself, her friends, or half the student body, C) fucking anyone should Sesshoumaru deny her without killing her, D) never regaining control again, and a bunch of other things that might happen. She needed to gain control, and if she didn't… she didn't want to think about what might happen should she continue to simply let it have as much freedom as it now had.

Standing on her feet, she silently told herself that she'd never understand the attraction her beast had for Sesshoumaru. Why did it want him? Why did it feel the need to show it in such a way? Why did it feel threatened that there were so many other women who wanted him, some of which were within the school itself? Why, she couldn't answer that, since she barely understood it herself at the moment. It seemed like a completely different part of her right now, and she really didn't want to think about  _it_ , since  _it_  was strange, and needed to leave her mind alone for a while. Or at least until she could figure out what exactly was happening to her.

 _There's a bright side, though_ , she told herself, walking toward the door,  _I'm no longer thinking like a kitsune. Though, I can't exactly say I like being a possessive kin-inu better._  Sighing, she thought,  _maybe I shouldn't be so happy about that. I have no idea how a kin-inu acts! I knew I should have paid more attention in class today, maybe they said something about it. Then again, they probably didn't._

oOo

Sesshoumaru stalked up the stairs, his eyes shifting to the paintings of landscapes lining the walls. He'd never really noticed how large the school was until now. At least not until he was continuously thinking about that stupid cut he'd put on Kagome's face, that was. However, he'd noticed that it was fairly large. All the classes for the 'first year' students were on the first floor, the other students on the second floor, while the others seemed to be in the other section of the school, which was across the area they ran around during their breaks. Then there was the library, which was open for all grades, and held tons more books than the small libraries within each dormitory, and on the fourth floor was the medical wing. Of course, he was sure that there were other things on each floor, but that was all he'd really ever noticed so far. Perhaps he was only thinking about it, though, because he didn't wish to see his hand strike Kagome's skin over and over again whenever he stopped thinking about other things.

That miko was beginning to really get on his nerves, yet he still couldn't bring himself to hate her. In fact, he was even starting to watch her movements a little closer, as if her change had suddenly caught his interest. He was growing – dare he say it? – affectionate, perhaps? He wasn't sure, yet, what exactly was happening to him, but he was starting to look at the miko, slightly demoness, in a different light. It was almost as if her suddenly change had turned his slight hatred into the complete opposite, yet he knew he did not love her. What else was there, since he knew it wasn't lust, either? Affection was really the only word he could come up with at the moment. As unwanted as it was, he'd began to think about this word, combined with her name, since Professor Katana had told him he'd be watching over her, and Professor Ivy approving of her choice.

He wouldn't say it was against his better judgement to hit her, though. No, for she hadn't been paying attention when he, as her instructor, was trying to help her by telling, explaining really, how to block out the thoughts of her beast, since it was obvious the thing was way out of control. It was so far out of control that he'd resulted in violence in order to bring her back to reality, instead of allowing her beast to control their body, while she merely swam in sweet darkness, which could be as thick as blood sometimes. She was clearly ignoring him, and because of that he'd struck her, bringing her back into his care, back to where he could continue and try to help her.

Moving down a corridor, Sesshoumaru stared straight at the doors of the library. They were old, wooden, and almost gloomy in a way. He could easily hear the voices on the inside, just as he could hear all the older students who talked amongst themselves, unless they used a soundproof barrier in order to keep in their conversations. What he heard was the quiet voices of people doing homework, others merely talking, while the sound of rustling paper overpowered both of these. Within seconds he was upon the door and pushing it open, before moving into the large library, each bookcase as high as the ceiling, each one packed with books. It appeared that all the teachers', mostly the youkai, had been collecting any book they could get ahold of, since not all of the books within the library were for research, no others were fantasy, while there was science-fiction, and tons of other books. There was a good amount of literature that was for sure. Most of which he knew was probably older than it actually looked, of course.

Within moments he was searching for the book Ms. Kumo had said they might be interested in for their current assignment. It wasn't hard to find, and after a moment or two he was at a table flipping through the pages. With youkai speed it wasn't hard to find what he wanted, what he needed, and ready to begin the project. He was sure that Ms. Kumo would want it to be perfect since he was a youkai, but she'd also said that the other piece of information in order to complete their assignment wouldn't be obtained as easily, obviously trying to make it harder for him. He was sure he'd only have to ask her, or another teacher. He was sure that's what she wanted.

Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru reached up to rub at his temples. His mind, after going through the book's information completely, turned back toward Higurashi as he glared at the book. It was annoying to have his thoughts controlled by her at this moment, but he merely continued to glare down at the book before he smelled her scent. She'd entered the library, her aura telling him she was much calmer, and when he looked up he noticed that as she walked toward him her wounds were already beginning to heal. Not as fast as his would, but they were half the size, all four of them still bleeding a little while others stared at her. It wasn't hard to see why, since dry and wet blood covered her left cheek, and dripped down onto her current outfit.

She stopped infront of the other side of the table, her head down in submission. He almost wondered if she'd come to terms or if her beast was currently in control, before she said, "Gomen, Sesshoumaru. I-I should not argue with your judgement, you, after all, were born youkai. I-I know that I shouldn't be as-as frightened to learn as I am, but I'm willing to try again if you'll allow me."

Sesshoumaru reached out, allowing his fingers to clasp the back of the chair infront of him, before pulling it out. He sat down in it once it was out far enough, and nodded. "Very well. Besides, Professor Ivy and Professor Katana have not given me much choice on the matter. I promise not to hit you again if you listen to what I am saying, instead of ignoring me as you were."

"I-Gomen," she whispered. "I guess this 'beast', as you call it, got the better of me. I… well, I was listening and then the next thing I knew I was concentrating on my thoughts. It seemed like I was listening to someone talking to me, instead of myself. It was… very strange."

He nodded again, "This Sesshoumaru gives his word, miko, that I will not hit you again. Now, come here, we don't want your wound getting infected and having to send you to the medical wing before you can even learn how to control an ounce of your newfound power." Tilting his head so that he was staring at her from an angle, he told himself that it wouldn't be that bad. Besides, if he had to keep her close in order to help her control her powers, then Kagura would be kept at bay, finally. Especially after Professor Katana placed the spell in order to keep them away from each other. Yeah, he'd be waiting for that.

Kagome moved around the table, before pulling out the chair next to him. She saw down, her head once more lowered as she thought of all the ways he could slice her head from her shoulders. However, his strong fingers gripped her chin, and though her eyes were lowered she saw his silver head come into view, watching the best she could as suddenly his tongue swept out of his mouth and moved over one of the four slashes in her skin. She froze, all the thoughts of possessiveness coming back to her, as a purr-like sound began coursing itself from her throat. She tried to choke it down; knowing that her aura told others that should they come near she would protect what was rightfully hers. She knew this confused the hell out of Sesshoumaru, since he smelled slightly different once she began giving off this feeling. The sound, however, continued to move up from her vocals and out of her throat as he slowly moved his tongue over the second slash, before giving it a second over.

Affection. The word came to him again, the taste of her blood thick on his palate as he continued his healing ritual. More like a task at the moment, but her blood tasted sweeter than anything he'd tasted in years. It tasted like most blood, except it held a spiciness from her youkai blood, while it seemed to burn the back of his throat as her miko side mixed with it. It was not only wonderful tasting, but stirred the emotion he'd began to feel within him - perhaps it was more than simply affection, perhaps it was not. Whatever it was, though, he couldn't get over the fact that her blood not only tasted good, but brought out his baser instincts, each of them delighted with the slight zapping her miko side gave, while it mixed with the spicy youkai breed. He could almost taste the inu within her – it tasted exquisite.

He moved onto the next one, telling himself that he was merely doing this so that he could get rid of her sooner. However, another part of him seemed to disagree, turning its head from the truth he tried to feed himself. The gashes he'd given her turned to nothing more than slight welts before even those began to disappear before his eyes. Not that he was really looking, his eyes had closed once she began to let out her growl of content, telling him that though they'd started out pretty bad, and though he'd never consider her his  _friend_  – he needed none of those -, she enjoyed his current attention. Strange, though, that her aura told others that she wasn't going to give up what she had. If he wasn't paying attention to his current  _feast_ , then he might have tried to figure out why she was giving off the aura he'd only sensed around those who were trying to protect a meal of their own.

Kagome closed her eyes, feeling Sesshoumaru move away. Once he had, her eyes opened before she moved them away from his face, her hands folding over in her lap as she stared at them. A hot red blush covered her face as she realized exactly what he'd just done. She tensed,  _there's something wrong here!_ She shook her head,  _so, so wrong._

Her possessive aura disappeared, but it brought up another question in his mind. Earlier, before he'd hit her, she'd turned feral, her fangs glistening in the dying light. She'd straight toward the ground like she'd been doing since the time he'd caught her in his arms, trying to stop her from hurting herself, and also trying to return her to her rightful mind. Already, it had been his beast's impulse, but he'd done it, and there was nothing he could do it erase that fact. Still, what was it that her beast had suddenly claimed as her own? What was it that it felt so possessed to have it that it'd outwardly declared, "Mine"? It was truly something he'd need to think about for a while before he got his answer, or decided it was best to ask her.

Raising an eyebrow, he told himself hell would freeze over before he asked her anything about herself. Still, he wanted to know why her beast would claim something so viciously. And did the miko feel the same way? Yes, it was truly something that would need some time to fester before the answer came to him.


	15. The Kitsune Twins

Her slender hand reached out, grabbing hold of the frame upon their mantel, the picture of the happy young girl smiling up at her as a tear streaked down her cheek. Her feet moved her until she was standing in front of their sofa, before her knees bent and she was sitting down upon the cushions. Her right hand came up, her left holding the picture frame, and traced the brow of the girl, before the picture seemed to fade a little, the magic working instantly, before an almost completely youkai child stared up at her from the frame. She knew that the changes had faded over time, but she felt so ashamed that she'd not only known, but she'd lied about it; to everyone but her dead husband.

It wasn't anyone's fault. That's what she loved to believe, but she knew that there was a reason as to why Kagome was the way she was. She knew, but she'd never told anyone besides her dear husband. It was that stupid jewel's fault. No, she couldn't blame the Shikon for this; she needed to blame the woman that had once held the Shikon no Tama within her hands. Her ancestor, known as Kagome; it was her fault, hers and her stupid wish. She was the reason that Kagome was the way she was. She was the reason.

Sakura sighed, placing the picture into her lap. She needed to tell Kagome the truth about why their family had such strange occurrences. She needed to tell her why her wounds always seemed to heal faster than they should have. She needed to tell Kagome why she'd always been able to run faster than anyone else in her old school, and why her miko powers were far superior to anyone else inside the Higurashi Family. She needed to tell her, but she wasn't sure how. She'd kept this secret since she was little, her mother always telling her that after a certain generation a child would be born, one who would be born looking much like a ¾'s youkai child, but to everyone else looked completely ningen. She had not expected Kagome to be that child, since all the ones inside their family that were born with youkai abilities looked that way to everyone else; not Kagome, no, her true features were hidden from everyone because of a stupid wish so long ago. A wish that rejuvenated the youkai population before they died out completely, even though the wish was made so much sooner than it actually happened.

Sakura shook her head, before standing suddenly. She hated that stupid wish. She loved her daughter, but she hated that stupid wish and it caused her to throw the picture across the room, watching as the glass shattered upon hitting the wall. Tears streamed down her face before she heard the front door open and she turned to see her youngest walk into the room, obviously worried about why he'd suddenly heard the sound of breaking glass. His look only reminded her that she'd need to buy a new frame for the picture now. It wouldn't be that big of a thing, but it would give her something to do besides thinking about what her daughter was going through while she could do nothing to help her.

"Mom?" Souta asked. "Is everything ok? I heard something break and…"

"I'm fine, Souta," she sighed. "I must have not placed the frame far enough onto the shelf."

"What?" he blinked.

"A picture fell from the shelf, Souta," she smiled. "It's nothing to be worried over." She stood, walking over to the picture, happy to have thrown it toward the wall that had a shelf with pictures. She began picking up the broken glass, before she heard Souta approach her from behind.

"That's a picture of Kagome, isn't it?" Souta asked. He tilted his head to the side, wondering how the picture could have ended up where it had landed. The shelf wasn't really that high, so he also wondered why it had broke into so many pieces, but it was glass, and the floor was wooden, so it wasn't really that confusing. He could have sworn that the sound he heard was like someone slamming their fist through a glass window, and he'd watched and listened to one of his stupid friends doing that, so he'd been frightened to think that someone might have broken into their house, killed his mother, and began breaking their things to make it look like there'd been a fight. He was glad it was just a broken picture frame, though.

"Hai," Sakura said.

"It looks different," Souta frowned. "It looks almost like its not Kagome. Why is that?" Confusion did seem to control his facial features at this moment, his eyes showing the confusion like it was a beacon.

Sakura sighed, weary of this knowledge only being on her shoulders. "I'm going to tell you why Kagome's picture has changed, alright, Souta? What I tell you must stay within the family. That means that anyone you marry may also know, but you must keep it within the family. None of your friends or girlfriends can know, understand. It's a family secret."

Souta frowned deeper. "Hai, mom. I'll keep a secret; that's why it's a secret, isn't it?" He watched as his mother continued to pick up the pieces of glass off the floor before she pulled the picture from the broken frame and handed it to him. He wondered when she was going to tell him this secret, since she'd become silent as soon as he'd spoken, almost like she was reconsidering her decision. However, once she returned from tossing the broken glass he nearly jumped when she snatched the picture from him and ordered him to sit down. Once he did she began telling him their family secret, and he listened intently to every word. When she'd finished, though, he understood why it was a family secret.

oOo

A week had passed since it had been declared that Sesshoumaru would watch over Kagome, yet nothing had really happened. It was actually not until a week later that Kagome told any of her friends about what had happened between her and Sesshoumaru. Or she's told Kirara, since she wasn't sure how the others would react, but this didn't stop it from going around once they decided to talk about it.

"I don't get it," Shippo said.

"What's not to get?" Sango replied. She eyed Sesshoumaru as he sat beside them, a little off to the side, but close enough for him to hear anything they were saying. She was pretty sure he would have been able to either way, since he was a youkai after all. She almost wanted to snap at him for being nosy, since Kagome wasn't even with them and he was supposed to be with her. He'd stayed after she'd said she was going to go study for something, though, and continued to merely stare off as if he were thinking about something that no one else could ever figure out. "Kagome's is being controlled by instincts most of the time because she doesn't know how to control them. Is that so hard to understand?"

Kirara frowned. "That's the thing. Full-blooded youkai and hanyou have something they call a beast. It's the animal side of them, the instincts. Kagome, from what she's told me, is being controlled by her instincts, and can hear them speaking to her inside her head, which would be the beast, however, Kagome shouldn't have a beast at all."

"Why not?" Sango asked. "Why couldn't she have one?"

"Kagome's only supposed to be a fourth youkai," Kirara continued. "Or that's what I was told. However, with a beast it tells us that she's more than a fourth, more than a third, and probably more than half depending on what exactly she can do. It just seems like her instincts and abilities are maturing faster than her body is, or maybe her miko side is protecting her by making it seem like she's more ningen, when she's not."

"Its also strange that she's able to use both miko and youkai powers," Shippo added. "Normally this would have killed anyone with youkai energy, since the miko side would have purified it from the system, but its almost like Kagome's body was created in order to house both sides of her. Like someone has thought about the good of the world and decided that a miko needed to hold youkai powers during a certain age or time." He gentle wrapped his fingers together, his elbows on the table while he leaned his chin on top of his hands.

Sango glared, "Are you two trying to say that Kagome's some type of freak?" She tensed, ready to defend Kagome in any way she could. True, she teased Kagome because of things that had happened in the past a lot, but she sure as hell wasn't going to allow others to downgrade her for no fucking reason.

"Iie," Kirara gasped. "Its just a little strange and sudden."

Bankotsu nodded, "It is a little weird. But everyone is different, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of mutation in her genes or something that caused this reaction inside her family line. Anything's possible now a days, but that doesn't make her a freak of any kind. I mean, come on, look at all the different types of youkai there are and then start callin' someone a freak. You won't live much longer after that, and if Kagome can't control her instincts then she might just end up hurting you for saying something like that."

Amazingly they stared at Jakotsu when he spoke up, his tone serious and his eyes hard. "Hai, it does seem quite odd that something like this would happen now. Perhaps there is another reason as to why Kagome suddenly changed? Perhaps there is something that only her family knows of?"

"Maybe," Sango sighed. "Her mother doesn't talk much of their family matters. She doesn't like to talk about people of the past, either, almost like she's afraid of something going out, but I've never really paid that much attention to it."

She suddenly gave a thoughtful look, before gazing around the table, "Where's Miroku?" She glanced around, hoping to see him, before wondering why she wanted to be around him so much. She could remember hitting him all the time for his ways, but for some reason she no longer wanted to hit him… no, she wanted to encourage him, almost like she wanted him to take complete advantage of her, and it almost scared her. Almost. Just a little.

"He followed Kagome when she went to study," Kirara said.

"Oh," Sango nodded. At least the pervert wasn't chasing after some younger, prettier girl today. She trusted him around Kagome, since the girl had never took his advances before. She'd even seen Kagome hit Miroku a could of times because he couldn't keep his hands to himself, and she giggled remembering it, only to have the others stare at her, before she shook her head to their silent questions. They didn't need to know everything about Kagome, just the embarrassing stuff, which she loved to tell them to make Kagome blush.

"How 'bout we talk about something else?" Kirara smiled. She crossed her legs underneath the table, before saying, "I don't think that Kagome would want us talking about this type of stuff while she's not here. It's in her best interest, but even I wouldn't want people talking about me while I wasn't there. Its kind of like having someone talk behind your back."

Shippo laughed, "Maybe she's sneezing because we keep saying her name so much." He smiled; beginning to laugh harder, never knowing that his words were actually true, and that the miko was going through a fit of sneezes at that moment because of something she'd smelled.

The others laughed, each one of them smiling from the humor that Shippo put into the conversation. They never noticed that Sesshoumaru lifted himself from his seat before moving to exit the Main Hall. They never knew that Kagome was in the library sitting next to Miroku, sneezing while he patted her back, before two very handsome kitsune twins walked up to them, smiling, wanting to make  _friends_  with their miko-youkai friend. They didn't know that the twins shared everything, and they didn't know just how handsome these two were; hell, they didn't even know that anything else was actually going on.

"Hey," Sango said, jumping up from her seat. "Why don't we go find Kagome and Miroku? I'm sure they'd still be in the library, since Kagome used to spend tons of time there, even back home. It wouldn't surprise me if she was still there and enjoying some book that none of us would ever read."

"Yes," Kirara nodded in agreement. "I would like to see what they have. I haven't had enough time to go there yet, but I heard they have many books."

Jakotsu smiled, "Lots of cute boys would be there just to study!"

Bankotsu shook his head, "I need to find a book on fighting techniques anyway, so why not?"

"Why do you need that?" Sango asked.

Bankotsu shrugged his shoulders. "Professor Katana wanted me to read up on something or other. I really don't remember."

"You might want to," Shippo replied. "Professor Katana doesn't look like the reasoning type." He stood, before stuffing his hands into his pockets, his kitsune mind telling him to play with a little fox fire and maybe trick someone into thinking that they were on fire, before running off laughing. He grinned at this thought, before shaking it away.

oOo

"So, we're looking for what exactly?" Miroku asked, looking throughout the 'W' books for whatever author Kagome had wanted, again. He slid his fingers over the names, before nodding at what she wanted when she called out to him, looking through another set of books. He smiled when he found the book, before pulling it from the shelf and going to place it on the table they were using, before going over the list that Kagome had and going out to search for the next book. He moved into the 'G' section, searching for the book that Kagome wanted in order to begin making a poster for her project in History class.

"Did you find it, Miroku?" Kagome asked; turning to watch Miroku move passed the section she was in. She smiled when she heard him reply that he had, before pulling out three books that simply looked interesting, before skipping back to their table. She heard Miroku's shoes as he came back to her side, before her old time friend sat next to her as she sat in the chair. She smiled at him, before opening a book she'd gotten, "What do you think of this one, Miroku?"

He leaned over to read the summary on the inside of the fantasy book, before nodding his head. "It sounds interesting enough," he said. "I'm not into dragons that much, so I don't think it would interest me as much as it might you, Kagome."

Sighing, Kagome said, "You're no help, Miroku."

Smirking, he replied, "Never have been, never will be."

"Yeah," Kagome nodded. "That seems about right. You are the stupidest pervert I've ever met after all." She laughed when he shook his head, before he said something about no one having any trust in him. She continued to smile, before turning to the book at hand, flipping the to the first page, before reading a few sentences. However, she gripped it a bit tighter, happy to find that it had a spell in order to stop claws from piercing them, before she placed a piece of paper between the pages and placed the book down.

"So, what are we looking for again?" Miroku asked, smiling.

"I already told you once, Miroku," Kagome said, wrinkling her nose. "I've never seen you forget things so easily so many times before. I don't understand why you continue to ask me that same question over and over again, since it should have been driven into your skull by now. Really, how many times have I told you already? Five, six times?"

"Nine," he replied.

Kagome laughed a few times, before rolling her eyes, "So, you can remember that, but you can't remember the thing I need to look for?"

"Hai," he smiled.

Kagome sighed deeply through her nose, before wrinkling it again. She sniffed the air, before suddenly sneezing, her head turning so that she wasn't sneezing all over the books, even though she knew they were only dry sneezes. Her head reared back, before she sneezed again, suddenly shaking her head, before sniffing at the air. It seemed horrible, and she sneezed again in order to make the scent go away, before she felt Miroku's hand on her back, patting her between the shoulders.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

She tried to nod only to sneeze again. Her hands came up to cover her nose; since she was sure they were dry sneezes and that nothing was going to cover her hands. Once she managed to get her nose under control she noticed that the smell was gone, and she wiped her nose, before sniffling. She didn't know why she'd suddenly began sneezing like that, but she didn't like it, and she hoped to kami that it didn't happen again, since her nose hurt now. Hurt a lot more than it normally would whenever she suddenly had to sneeze like that, and she suspected that it was because of her youkai side.

Off in the distance two kitsune males smirked at each other, both nodding when they pinpointed the female they'd been searching for. Their noses filled with her wonderful scent, before they turned a corner to find the female they'd seen defeat that damn wind demoness. They hated Kagura, since they'd known her even before they came to this crazy school, but they liked the fact that someone had finally put her in her place, and they liked the way the female's body was. They liked everything, and what they liked they shared. Nothing came between them.

"I'm fine, Miroku," Kagome said, sniffling again. "I don't know what came over me. I smelled something awful and then I couldn't help my-my-my-my," she sneezed again, "myself. Gomen."

"Its quite alright, Kagome," Miroku said. "No harm done."

Kagome sniffed the air again, before turning her head to find two kitsune males standing behind her. She blinked in surprise when she found them smiling at her, their handsome faces perfect, while their orange hair gleamed in the lighting. She noticed that one contained black eyes, while the others were green, and both of them looked friendly enough. However, she smelled something odd in the air, something that she'd never smelled before as she smiled at these two new males. "Oh, um, hello," Kagome said.

"Are you alright?" the black eyed one asked.

"We heard you sneezing," the green eyed one added.

"Hai," Kagome said, "I'm quite alright. Arigatou, for your concern."

The green eyed one smiled, "We merely wished—"

"—to help a lady in need," the black eyed one finished.

Miroku turned his eyes away, knowing from his own perverted ways that these two wished to become acquainted with Kagome. He shook his head, knowing exactly what Kagome wanted, just wishing to ruffle her features a little in order to make her more fun to be around. However, he almost had a brotherly protective feeling cause him to come between these two handsome youkai males and his dear friend, Kagome, since he knew that Kagome could be a little naïve when it came to the feelings of a male. He'd seen it many times before, after all.

 _Oh, yeah_ , Kagome thought.  _They're just like Miroku._  She smiled, "Um—"

"Oh," the black eyed one said. "Please, excuse our rudeness. I am Akio!" He bowed until his upper body was horizontal with the floor, smirking at the view he must have been giving the fan girls that had followed them. He heard a few of them sigh, before smirking wider, his spiked orange hair having spots of black dyed throughout it, while his brother's was dyed with white streaks.

"And I am Haruki," the green eyed one bowed as well. He crossed his arm over his chest, being more gentlemanly out of the two brothers. "We are—"

"—twins," Akio finished. He was the first to rise from his bowed position, before he took Kagome's hand within his hand, gently running his fingers over her smooth flesh, before he watched Haruki come to sit beside her. "What is your name, fair maiden?"

"Oh," Kagome blushed. "My-my name?"

Akio nodded. "Hai, we would love—"

"—to know your name," Haruki ended. They had always had a thing about knowing what their brother was going to say, and it could sometimes please a woman far more than normal, since Haruki's voice was rich and pure, while Akio's was deep and mysterious sounding. Plus, it had a tendency to make a woman blush, no matter their age, and they enjoyed teasing pretty girls, or beautiful women.

"I-I-I," Kagome couldn't bring herself to say anything. Her hand felt a little like it was on fire, and she blushed deeper when she noticed that Akio was staring straight into her eyes. His black ones glittered darkly, and it almost hypnotized her, before she smiled like the fan girls that were rudely making comments about her hair and clothing before Haruki sent them a vicious glare. One she hadn't noticed, since Akio's eyes seemed to draw her in like a moth to a flame.

Miroku coughed, catching the attention of both males. He watched as Akio merely stared at him, and though he seemed like he'd be the more aggressive out of the two, it was Haruki, the one who sounded pure and innocent, who was glaring at him. "Her name is Kagome," he said.

Akio nodded, "Ah. A beautiful name—"

"—for a beautiful maiden," Haruki whispered, his mouth close to her ear. He glanced to the books on the table, before spotting one that he'd read before. He pulled himself away from Kagome's ear, seeing that her blush had become a bit darker, before kneeling at her side, "You have a wonderful taste in books, fair maiden," he said, smirking.

Akio glanced toward the books, "Wonderful, indeed." He looked directly into her eyes once more, "Tell us, Kagome—"

"—have you read any similar books?"

Kagome shook her head. "I-iie. I-I saw that one and I wished to read it since the cover looked interesting. Is it really that good?"

"Good? No—" Haruki said, noticing that Kagome frowned. It caused a smirk to erupt on the faces of both young males, before they leaned closer to her.

At the same time, they said, "—it's wonderful."

"Oh," Kagome said. She smiled brightly, "I guess I'll enjoy reading it then."

The brothers smiled as well, both of them instantly turning their heads to stare at each other. It was Akio who spoke first, saying, "Such a beautiful smile, isn't it, Haruki?"

"Hai, hai," Haruki agreed. "That it is, brother."

"A beautiful smile—"

"—for a beautiful maiden," Haruki nodded. He turned so that he was staring at Kagome once more, "This one is truly beautiful, Akio."

"Hai," Akio nodded, "I must agree. Everything about her screams beauty—"

"—beyond compare," Haruki smirked.

Akio smiled once more. "Exactly what I was thinking, dear brother! Sometimes you are truly brilliant!"

"Why thank you, brother," Haruki said. He turned back to Kagome, before asking, "What do you think, Kagome?"

"Um…" she began. However, she was cut off by a growl, and looked up to find Sesshoumaru glaring down at them. She felt something inside of her scream to go to him while another part of her blushed again at the attention she was receiving from these two kitsune twins. She pulled her hand from Akio's, before greeting Sesshoumaru with a smile, "Oh, Sesshoumaru."

The kitsune twins stood before him, and Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in disgust at their pitiful attempt to get into Kagome's good graces. Something inside of him seemed to boil when he thought about either of them touching Kagome, and he growled again, warning them to stay away from the female. However, the black eyed one named Akio nearly turned his nose up, while the green eyed one named Haruki snorted.

"And who—"

"—are you?" Akio asked.

They began to circle Sesshoumaru, both of them eyeing him like he would suddenly turn into one of their newest tricks. They were kitsunes', after all, and even they could not pass up a good prank. Together, they asked, "What relationship do you have with the maiden Kagome?" They tilted their heads together, almost like they knew exactly what the other was going to do and when they were going to do it.

Sesshoumaru growled again, warning them to stay away from his female. It was more his beast's thoughts, but he took a step toward them once they stood before him. He watched as they backed up toward Kagome, before they turned to each other and began whispering things that even he could not hear. However, once they were done they nodded to each other, and continued to stare into each other's eyes.

"It would appear, dear brother—" Akio smirked.

"—that this one means business," Haruki ended. "Perhaps—"

"—we should give him a run for his money," Akio's smirk grew wider. He heard the inu growl deeper, before he turned from him, bowing to the girl behind them, before he heard Haruki's shoes as they turned on spot until he was also facing Kagome.

Kagome blinked, wondering what exactly was going on.

Akio grasped Kagome's hand, hearing the inu snarl. "Until we meet—"

Haruki grasped her other hand, "—again, dear maiden."

Kagome felt them let go of her hands, before they turned from Sesshoumaru, walking side-by-side until they were out of sight. She sighed, another blush working itself onto her cheeks, before she wondered what exactly had just happened. Two handsome kitsune twins hit her on and some part of her was freaking out, telling her to ignore them and go after Sesshoumaru. Another part of her wished to take them up on their silent offer, but she shook her head to both these sides, before deciding that for now she was going to ignore this whole thing.

Miroku smirked, hearing their other friends enter the library. They were quiet, but he could still hear Bankotsu and Jakotsu arguing over something before Sango told them to 'shut the fuck up' cause she'd spotted them. He couldn't help but wonder how things were going to go for Kagome now that she'd met those twins, since it was obvious they wanted to get their claws on her. He couldn't help but wonder more about what Kagome was going to do once they decided they didn't want to share anymore and began fighting over her.

Sesshoumaru clenched his hand until his claws began eating into his flesh. Was he…? No, he wasn't. He'd told himself again and again that he wasn't going to let that blasted female get to him, yet every time he turned around he found another reason as to why his beast was suddenly attracted to her, though he still couldn't figure out what had started it. There was no way he was jealous, though. No way in hell. Nope.


	16. Instinct vs. Thought

"We did it! A, A, A!" she yelled into the corridor, knowing that she was being loud and everyone could hear her, but she didn't care. They'd finished that stupid assignment after some very nasty moments with Sesshoumaru trying to make her explode with anger – she swore that was his intention – but they got through it, and they got an A!

He scuffed, turning so that he could follow behind her. The spell to keep Kagura at bay was working quite well, and if it meant being in the presence of the miko, then so be it. After all, she smelled quite nice lately, though it was probably just because those stupid kitsunes' were hanging around her, trying to get her attention that he noticed this at all. He could see no other reason, but that wasn't exactly what he was paying attention to at that moment. No, he was paying more attention to what she'd actually said. "This Sesshoumaru would not allow himself to get anything but an A, miko." He didn't know why he continued to call her that, she wasn't completely miko anymore. Hell, he wasn't even sure what she was anymore.

Kagome nodded, a slight frown placing itself onto her lips while she stared straight ahead. She was starting to get fed up with his nonsense. Maybe she should slap him upside the head in order to make him see the  _light_ , so to speak… or maybe get her head sliced off. Whichever one came first, probably the head slicing knowing the youkai behind her – he was such a jerk at times, especially now. They'd received an A, yet he acted like nothing had happened. Even Kikyo would have jumping up and down, since it was a great way to begin when it came to lengthy things such as this, and Kikyo was usually polite but a little distant and withdrawn… unless you annoyed her as much as she heard Inuyasha was continuing to do. It was hilarious once she thought about it.

Turning her head, though, she asked him, "But isn't it good we got an A? Even if you usually get them."

He rolled his eyes, "Have you never gotten an A, miko?"

She stiffened, stopping in the middle of the corridor, hissing, "I have gotten an A on almost everything a teacher has ever thrown at me, Sesshoumaru." She raised her hand as a fist, shaking it lightly at him, watching as he shook his head and moving to move passed her. She wasn't going to allow that this time. "Now, see here, Sesshoumaru!"

"I'm afraid that I do not have time for your pitiful excuses," Sesshoumaru said. "If this Sesshoumaru continues to stay here both of us are going to be late for our next class, and I would rather only one of us was. Math might not be my favorite subject, but it is still something a future taiyoukai, like myself, needs in order to survive this world." He'd only turned his head in order to see her, but he left her with a gaping mouth, knowing that it would take her a few seconds to realize what he'd said and come after him. She should be able to catch up to him easily, since she was getting faster and more agile, though.

She blinked in surprise, "Wait. You don't like… math…?"

"Iie, miko. This Sesshoumaru does not enjoy math, but I tolerate it enough to get through each class and learn something needed to live in the new world."

"Why do you keep calling it, 'the new world'?" Kagome tilted her head to the side, blinking up at him as she began to walk once more. He was only a couple paces away from her; having stopped the moment he began explaining that only one of them should be…  _wait a minute! That's not even funny_.

Shaking his head, he began to walk again. "I have heard many stories about the past, Higurashi. Many about fresh air, cool rivers, many hot springs adorning the area, forest-upon-forests of trees as far as the eye could see… even the youkai eye." He didn't spare her a glance, his shoes clicking against the marble floor as more students began piling into the corridor they were in. Older and younger students, most of them ranging from various ages, it was strange that some of the newer students were a few years younger than himself, or up to eighteen years. It seemed the school had no concept of a person's age, but even that wasn't as strange as the question he'd let his calculating mind go over for a while now.

"I still don't see how someone as…" Kagome stopped, blushing a little. "Oh, I'm stereotyping again." She blushed harder when she realized she'd said that aloud, before realizing that Sesshoumaru's face now had a small smirk adorning the thin, pale, lips. Oh, god, she was looking… again!  _Stop this, Kagome! Stop it!_  This had been happening since she'd met Haruki and Akio… or was it when he'd licked the slashes he'd placed onto her cheek. God, she could still feel his smooth, long, tongue moving over them, and her face lowered so that no one would notice her heated face, though she was sure many would notice her heavy breathing.

He still could not come to understand why the beast she should not have – by how she looked at least – would openly claim something when it had not been  _alive_  for very long. Obviously it had something that it instantly respected. He could not quite understand why it had claimed something so viciously, or what it had claimed. He almost dreaded knowing the answer, since he was beginning to think that it had claimed a male as its own without Kagome knowing it…

White-hot jealousy rushed through his veins as he thought of this. He told himself over and over again that it was not jealousy, that he cared nothing for the wench following close behind him, yet his beast growled at the thought of hers claiming any male but himself. He told himself that he would need to except it if hers had, but something inside of him wanted to rip whoever it had claimed, if it had claimed any. It was not something that he normally felt – he'd never felt it, in fact – and it made him aggravated to know that he was feeling something he didn't understand. Something that he had never been put up against, though it really couldn't have been an enemy of any kind; jealousy was a confusing thing, but he knew what jealousy was, since he often felt it when he was younger whenever his father paid more attention to the half-breed than himself.

Especially since he was the first born, his pride and heir!

Kagome gasped when she heard a growl, turning toward the inuyoukai walking beside her. She noticed that mostly everyone moved away as soon as they heard the sound, and she nearly took a step away when she registered what he was growling about. Her feet were forced forward, though, and she felt the spell Professor Katana had placed upon her activate, before turning to find Kagura following close behind them. She was glad she had the barrier then, but she turned her attention back to Sesshoumaru, wondering what exactly was going on in his mind. She gulped after thinking that, laughing nervously to herself,  _maybe its best I don't know_.

Sesshoumaru knocked himself out of those thoughts, before turning his eyes to the girl at his side. "Miko," he swallowed another growl, "you are to meet me outside after our final class. This Sesshoumaru believes it is time that you learned how to use some of your new abilities." He turned his eyes away from her, listening as many, many shoes clicked against the floor, while a certain scent wafted up into his nose, causing him to hiss under his breath. Kagura. That bitch was getting more annoying each and everyday.

Kagome nodded, "Hai."

He wondered for only a moment if she couldn't tell that Kagura was behind them, before seeing her stiffen a little more as Kagura tapped at the barrier, obviously trying to see if it would hold. Fortunately for them it did, but it only caused the wind demoness's anger to rise a bit more. Not that he was worried, she could do no harm to him, and he knew that even if she managed to get passed the barrier somehow, she would not be able to harm Kagome. Not that he cared if she was harmed or not, he merely didn't want his new ward to be killed before he was able to do anything for her, actually see what had changed from her original  _design._  Yes, that was the only reason he continued to watch over her, feeling the way he did. It was brotherly, perhaps, but nothing more.

He wouldn't allow it to become anymore than that. Especially since a miko was the enemy to his race. He wasn't even sure if they could be together, not that he wanted to be with her, but knowing the way life loved him, it would probably end up with him being purified just as her head was sliced off. He'd rather live for the next two to three hundred years before thinking about death. The miko, though, would die within the next eighty to ninety years – unless a youkai mated her, or miko lived longer than normal ningen. He wasn't sure, but he didn't plan on dying before she did, and that was the point.

Scowling to himself, Sesshoumaru told himself to stop thinking about the fucking girl. True, she was now under his wing, she was in every one of his classes, and he needed to keep a watch on her in order to keep her away from those stupid kitsunes', but he needed to stop thinking about her when he wasn't doing anything for her. Not that he wanted to do anything for her; he was simply stuck with the job because no one else wanted it. Any one of the youkai teachers' could have taken the job and done quite fine, but it was dropped on his shoulders because she'd calmed when her youkai had taken control of her. They simply didn't want to have the responsibility shoved onto them, thus they decided that he could watch her, even though it was the most annoying thing he'd ever done. Especially when the thing he wished to ignore was constantly trying to be shown while he was with her, the thing that he denied as affection.

oOo

Kagome frowned, looking at her friends, and her cousin, noticing that Kikyo was currently fighting with Sesshoumaru, something about Inuyasha acting like a lovesick puppy and not leaving her alone. She wondered why Kikyo simply didn't put up a barrier, and also why the rest of her friends, Kirara, Miroku, Sango, Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and Shippo, simply sat there as if nothing as happening. It was obvious they wanted the growling and shouting to stop, since they were glaring at one another, turning to glare at Sesshoumaru and Kikyo, before turning back to glare at each other once more. She'd never seen them fight like this, and it was strange to feel the hostility coming off each and everyone of them. It was almost like each one of them had been put underneath a spell that caused them to suddenly go berserk on one another.

"The half-breed's actions have nothing to do with this Sesshoumaru," Sesshoumaru hissed. He narrowed his eyes at the woman named Kikyo, a woman he could tell was not as innocent as she claimed she was, his lips raising up into a snarl as she slammed her fist against the table. He did not need this at the moment, especially when he'd been looking forward to actually teaching something to Kagome, possibly seeing what she was capable of at the moment, but this stupid bitch just had to show up out of nowhere.

Kikyo's aura flared, her purification powers zapping against the green barrier that Sesshoumaru had raised around himself. The commotion they were making wasn't that bad, especially since she'd raised a sound barrier around them all, knowing that she'd probably get in trouble by yelling in the face of the Western Heir. She felt Kagome's approach when she moved through her barrier, but ignored her beloved cousin, only slightly pleased to know that she was there, probably to support her. "He is your brother!" she shouted. "I do not care if he is merely your half-brother, he is still apart of your family and because your father is not here to stop his actions, I demand that you do. I will not be treated this way!"

"Hai, my father is not here," Sesshoumaru snarled, "but that does not place the responsibility on this Sesshoumaru's shoulders. Until my father has officially passed down the title of Lord, this Sesshoumaru does not have to do anything you, miko, say. This Sesshoumaru will not be pushed into something that I do not wish to do, miko. I suggest that you handle the problem yourself."

Kikyo growled the best she could, before yelling, "I do not care if you're not the official Lord or not! You're still apart of that bastard hanyou's pack, and I demand that you put him in his place before I purify him to hell!"

Kagome gasped, looking over to her other friends, watching, as they seemed to roll their eyes, obviously having heard it already. However, her fangs bit into her lip, before she felt sadness overcome her. It was strange; because normally she would have tried to stop their fighting, not merely stand there like a crybaby. Something just wasn't right. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something wasn't right, and she went to reach out to touch Kikyo's arm, only for her miko powers to zap against her new youkai abilities, causing her eyes to flash and her lips to open in a hiss. Kikyo didn't even seem to notice, but Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered to her, anger becoming stronger within his aura.

"I do not care what you do with the baka hanyou, miko," Sesshoumaru snarled. "This Sesshoumaru could care less if you even managed to kill him, as long as he is not in my hair when this Sesshoumaru does not wish for it to be. Do as you wish, but do not try to pawn the responsibility onto this Sesshoumaru's shoulders." His claws itched to claw into the miko's throat, but his eyes flickered back to Kagome, watching as the miko before him frowned in confusion, before turning to find her cousin hissing at her. He smirked.

Kikyo tensed, "Kagome?"

She fought to regain control, her mind telling her that it was wrong to be thinking about harming her own cousin, even if they had never gotten along as well as they should have. Another part of her though, the part that she knew was youkai, hissed and clawed at her mind, telling her to pounce on the miko in front of her and rid her from the world in order to survive. That part of her growled at her cousin, watching as Kikyo's eyes narrowed, obviously ready to defend herself, before a pair of claws wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her into a male's side, before her beast purred. "Mine," it hissed when she noticed the miko's eyes were on the male at her side.

Kikyo gasped, realizing what Kagome's other side had just said. Her eyes widened, before narrowing, "Sickening." She spun on her heel, before turning her head so that she could see her cousin through the corner of her right eye. "To think my own cousin would fall for the charm of a ningen-hating youkai who would rather rip out her throat than allow her into his heart. Its disgusting," Kikyo moved forward, never knowing the sudden fright she'd placed within the miko-youkai's mind.

Part of her told her it was true, while another denied what Kikyo had said, hissing and spitting at it with the fury only found within the body of a youkai. It was like thought vs. instinct, and she narrowed her eyes when she thought about it. She was pulled closer to the male at her side, wondering why a part of her wanted to cuddle next to him, while the other part of her told her that he was merely doing this in order to make Kikyo angrier with her. She pushed away from the male upon thinking this, her eyes fading back to their original color while everyone stared at her. She shook her head, blinking away the thoughts, before turning to find an exit, any exit, as long as she got away from whatever had taken over everyone around her.

Sesshoumaru growled when his beast realized what Kikyo had done and said. How dare the bitch make his miko leave his side by saying such things! However, Sesshoumaru turned his eyes so that he could watch the miko walk out the doors, before moving to follow her. He had a feeling that he would be needed soon, and damn whoever tried to stop him, because he'd rip their head from their shoulders.

oOo

Akio grinned at his brother, his black eyes shining as he thought about the spell his brother had designed and cast along side him. He grinned, knowing that sooner or later, having watched her leave, that Kagome would come running right to them. "Brilliant, dear brother. Simply brilliant." They'd waited nearly two weeks before they'd cast it, but he'd waited long enough, and it was time to begin charming the miko into their grasp.

Haruki's green eyes twinkled a little at the praise, "Hai, it was, wasn't it?" His lips formed a smirk, before he growled, "Now there will be nothing that idiotic inu can do when we take her from him."

Akio nodded in agreement, "True. It does not matter if he is the heir to the Western Lands, he is not even a match for our charm—"

"—and experience," Haruki added.

Akio smiled softly, "I can just imagine what it will be like to have her between us, dear brother. Surely she will be a hellcat with the way her miko and youkai fight each other. One side of her will be fighting to continue bedding us, while the other will wish to get away, thus her movements—" He licked his lips, knowing that Haruki was thinking almost the same thing he was.

Haruki nodded. "Hai. She will be most aggressive. It will only make her time with us sweeter, though—"

Akio rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what his brother was getting at. "—until we toss her, that is." Guilt flushed over him at the thought of hurting the sweet miko, wondering for a moment if he could simply take her for himself and allow Haruki to find a mate of his own one-day. However, his dear brother knew what he was thinking about, obviously having felt his sudden emotion when Kagome was even spoken of. He was sure that damn inu would pick up her pieces once they left her in the dust, though, perhaps that would help him with the fact that he knew he wanted to keep her.

Haruki sneered a little at a nearby wall. "No female deserved us, brother. We are only perfect when together; a female would simply rip us apart from one another. You would not wish to lose your only brother, would you, Akio? Over a female, no less?"

Akio shook his head, "Iie, dear brother."

"Good," Haruki grinned. He reached up to scratch at the back of his neck, before sniffing at the air. "She's coming, brother. Perhaps I will allow you to take her first, since she is a virgin, and you seem to have taken quite a liking to her." Haruki did not continue, thinking,  _maybe that will get your mind back in the game, instead of wandering off with worthless females' that do not deserve you. Especially a miko who's beginning to turn youkai – beauty does not make a woman, brother, you must come to understand that one-day._

The other kitsune brightened, his black eyes glistening with water at the thought of his dear brother giving him such a privilege. Whenever they took a female Haruki was the one to take them first, especially when they were a virgin, but this one was special to him, and he was glad that Haruki saw that. A light shined in the back of his eyes when he saw Kagome rush down the corridor toward them, her feet beginning to slow from her run, before she leaned against a wall to begin slowing her breathing. Her hair hung around her face, before Akio quickly rose to his feet and smile forming on his lips as he moved to stand close by her, watching as her eyes snapped up to him.

Haruki came to stand by his side, concern showing through his aura, as he asked, "Beautiful maiden, it seems—"

"—we have met again," Akio finished. He reached out, seeing the confusion rush through Kagome's eyes, before tilting her head upward. "You seem a bit flustered. Are you alright, fair maiden?" Akio saw realization come to her eyes, before she straightened herself, suddenly bowing so that she was parallel with the floor.

"Akio," Kagome said. She straightened herself, nodded to Haruki, and continued, "Haruki. It's a pleasure to see you again." She was panting a little, but she calmed herself enough breath normally, smiling at them both. She noticed that they tilted their heads together, Akio's eyes twinkling as if he'd discovered something new, while Haruki's glazed over with an emotion she could not describe, but told herself that she'd need to watch the green eyed brother.

"It is—"

"—a pleasure to see you as well."

Kagome giggled at the way they finished each others sentences, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth, telling herself that it was rude to laugh. However, it felt so good compared to the emotions going through her mind, and she smiled brighter at them, saying, "I do not think I'll ever get used to that. It's almost like you know what the other is thinking."

Akio and Haruki glanced at each other, before saying, "Perhaps we do" together. They grinned at one another when Kagome began laughing again, the sound like the twinkling of bells to their ears. A beautiful sound, but only Akio seemed to truly love it. Akio even glanced at his brother to find that his eyes had traveled down to Kagome's breasts, before stopping the growl that came up his throat and the wish to blast him with something powerful for even sneaking such a peek at Kagome's body.

Haruki waited until she had calmed herself, before reaching out his hand. "It is a beautiful night, beautiful maiden. Perhaps you would like to get away from that foolish inu and—"

"—take a stroll with us this eve," Akio finished, watching as his brother sent him a slight glare. It would do no good to have Kagome know what they wanted, and Haruki seemed to realize that, before smiling at the girl before them. Akio reached out to grasp onto her other arm, taking up her other side, and sniffed the air.

Haruki did as well. "It would seem that—"

"—the puppy has come to play," Akio ended, a slight hiss at the end of his words.

Haruki sighed, "Perhaps we should play with him, brother."

"Perhaps we should," Akio replied, nodding. He looked down at Kagome to find her looking behind them, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the inuyoukai close behind them. His eyes narrowed, before he released Kagome's arm and turned on his heel toward the mighty son of the Western Lord. It was such a shame they did not care what rank the inu held.

Sesshoumaru growled, "You two have overstepped your bounds." He shifted his eyes to look over them both, deeming them unworthy opponents, but uncaring. "Give me the miko."

"And if—"

"—we refuse," Haruki finished.

"This Sesshoumaru will not act kindly to those who do not listen to my orders." Sesshoumaru growled deeply, watching both the kitsunes' tense, before Kagome pulled herself from Akio's arms, obviously intending to come to his side. However, that blasted black eyed one grabbed her arm and pulled her to him further angering his beast when the kitsune pressed his lips to the miko's.

Kagome's mind was being pulled in two directions, neither of them from ningen impulse. Her eyes widened, before she pushed away from Akio, watching as his lips turned upward into a smile. She narrowed her eyes a little, feeling like he was playing with her, perhaps Sesshoumaru, before stepping away from him. She felt Haruki's eyes upon her, but paid him little attention as the light within Akio's eyes brightened upon her reaction.

"Come, dear brother," Akio said. Ordered, really, and he heard Haruki hiss and turn toward him, obviously wondering why he was suddenly ordering him to do things.

"What?" Haruki snapped.

"I believe, dear brother," Akio continued, "that we should play with this inu some other time. His royal pain in the ass will squirm, wondering when we'll come to take this beautiful maiden from him." Akio's black eyes darkened a bit, "He will never know when we'll strike."

Kagome stomped her foot, "Do not try to play with me!"

Akio smiled, "I am not playing any longer, Kagome. You shall be ours. This inu shall learn that soon enough."

Haruki tensed. "Brother…"

Sesshoumaru growled, "You will not get the chance, kitsune. This Sesshoumaru shall not be one that merely rolls over and allows you to have your way with those under my care."

Akio smiled brighter. "Do not worry, Kagome. I shall not allow him to harm you." He turned, knowing that his confused brother was following behind him, while they left two very confused beings behind. He had a plan, one that would push the inuyoukai so far into jealousy that he would break the rules and be cast from the school, thus leaving Kagome all alone. He would get his female once that happened.

Haruki narrowed his eyes, wondering what the hell had happened to his sweet brother. This was not how Akio usually acted, and it was strange to actually feel the change in him after he'd kissed that damnable miko. She'd done something to his brother, of that he was sure. His eyes darkened; perhaps it was time he took away something Akio wanted, since he usually gave it to him.

Sesshoumaru glared at their backs, before turning back to Kagome. He sighed, "Come, miko." He watched her nod, confusion clear in her eyes, before he continued, "I believe now would be the perfect time to practice your control. This Sesshoumaru does not believe  _they_  will be much of a problem for now." He turned on his heel, and began walking away. He would make sure that neither of those stupid kitsunes' got near his miko. He had been within this school for only seven and a half weeks, but there was no way he was going to allow others to take the miko he'd first hated but was now beginning to care about in his own way.

He was such a baka for allowing her to get her sickening grasp onto his emotions.

He was so confused. He needed time to think.


	17. Time Moves On

Sango blinked in surprise. "What the hell just happened?"

"Sango!" Miroku gasped.

"What?" she replied.

Bankotsu laughed suddenly, putting his hand on his forehead and leaning backwards in his chair. Everyone stared at him, obviously wondering what the hell was wrong with him, but said nothing until he finally calmed himself and leaned forward once more. "I don't think I've ever heard you say that," he grinned. "I believe that's what Miroku was talkin' about. You said 'hell', when I haven't heard you cuss that often."

Kirara nodded, before saying, "Hai, but hell is only a cuss word if you go to church, or someone around you had." When she had the others attention, she continued, "After all, it's a word that most of us would probably us, but should you say it to someone, like one of our parents, they'd probably beat us until we could not longer move."

"I guess so," Bankotsu sighed. "I know my dad. I'd get my ass kicked if I said anything about his religion. Especially after he spent three years in America and spent every Sunday in a church." He shook his head, "He might like it, but I'd probably find it as boring as hell. I just don't say anything as long as he doesn't try to force me into going."

Sango rolled her eyes, "That's not where I wanted the conversation to go. I want to know what Kikyo was talking about. I know Kikyo, and she's always nice and helpful whenever it comes to Kagome, so why is she disgusted about something that's happened to her."

"I don't think she's disgusted with Kagome, I think she's disgusted with what her other half said," Shippo nodded.

"You mean the beast she shouldn't even have?" Miroku asked. It was almost confusing to hear all the different terms that the youkai around them used when it came to one little subject. Perhaps it was just the way they all saw things, but it did get confusing to hear it in so many different ways.

"Hai." Shippo crossed his feet underneath the table, and clicked his fangs together in order to think of a way to make them understand how the other half responded to certain things and how it acted. "I know you might not have heard it, or understood why Kagome started acting the way she did, but its something that comes naturally to the other half." He stopped, "How 'bout we start from the beginning?"

"Probably be the best place to start," Bankotsu replied. He watched as Shippo merely frowned, took his chin between his claws, and sat there as if trying to think of something. He couldn't help but wonder why it was so hard to explain, but then he wouldn't be able to explain the marking on his forehead very well.

Kirara smiled a little bit, quietly saying, "I believe I know what you're trying to say, Shippo. May I?"

"Of course," Shippo nodded. He sighed, glad to have the weight lifted off his shoulders, and the eyes of the others switch over to the usually quiet neko-youkai who sat across from him. He was happy that Kirara was beginning to come out of her shell in order to communicate with them all, but he was also happy to hear her voice become stronger the longer she spoke.

"The instant response of a youkai when miko energy is released is to either run from or kill the woman who's releasing the energy. This is because, as you know, a miko can purify the youkai's demonic energy, thus ending its life and casting it deep into the pits of hell, since that's said to be where the youkai originally began. Because of this instinctive reaction Kagome stiffened and her beast began taking over, afraid for its life, but knowing that it might be able to take Kikyo out with it before it died. This is simply instinct and cannot be changed, no matter how hard the master - or the side that you normally see and is intelligent, living off of knowledge instead of instinct -, tries to push them away." Kirara gave a small cough, a light blush rushing to her pale cheeks as the others processed what she'd told them.

"How does that relate to Kagome?" Sango asked, slightly confused. It was just too much information to take in at one time without missing most of it.

"Kikyo's miko energy rose, and Kagome's other half instantly rose to the surface to face it," Shippo said, smiling at Kirara for her help. "Because Sesshoumaru is her guardian he tried to stop her instincts from taking over, which was the reason he brought her to his side. However, what you didn't hear is the most important thing that you must know. When Kikyo was staring at Sesshoumaru, and Kagome noticed it she growled something softly that only they would have heard if we were all ningen."

"What was it Kagome said?" Miroku asked, curious.

"'Mine'," Shippo and Kirara said together.

Sango gasped, "Why would Kagome's beast say such a thing?"

Kirara gave another small cough, "A beast is possessive by nature. This is also instinct, because long ago youkai would have to fight until the moment that they mated. Thus, the youkai became possessive of the male or female that it wanted, and its beast would rise to the surface to fight for that male or female whenever another youkai came to claim what they believed was theirs."

"You mean…" Sango gasped once more. Her hand came up to cover her mouth, trying to deny the words that had just come from Kirara's mouth. It couldn't be true. Kagome wouldn't… Not with that ice sickle.

"Because of this its easy to tell that Kagome's other half has chosen the male it wants. It sees Sesshoumaru as the strongest male who could protect not only himself, but his pups, as the inuyoukai would call them," Shippo growled a little. "Even without her knowledge, Kagome's other half has chosen Sesshoumaru as its possible mate, and until someone steps in the way to try and take him from her its going to believe that forever. It might even go as far as to kill any female Sesshoumaru actually does mate with just to make him understand the feelings that are going through its mind."

The others stared at the two youkai at their table, an eerie silence settling over them all as they thought about their dearest friend. There was no stopping it, and in the end Kagome might do something that she didn't want to simply because a part of her wished to be with a strong male. It brought tears to the eyes of Sango, a deep frown to Miroku's face, and gave Bankotsu the blankest stare anyone could ever have, while the two youkai merely tried not to think about it.

Another pair of ears was listening in on the conversation, though. A pair that belonged to a female, who dug her claws into the table, anger flooding through her body as she thought of what they'd said. The barrier had stopped her from hearing the beast of that bitch claim her rightful mate, but she'd heard everything those losers had said clear as day.

Kagura hissed, her claws etching themselves deep into her table as her companions continued to talk between themselves. She needed to find a way to get Sesshoumaru away from that little hussy in order to sink her claws into his heart and make him come to her. After all, she was positive that once she convinced Sesshoumaru of this that she'd easily take down Kagome when she came to kill her. There was no way she could lose to someone like Kagome, easily since she looked more ningen than youkai. It didn't matter to her that it was odd for her to even have a beast, as long as she got Sesshoumaru in the end.

oOo

She swung her arm again, her claws glowing dark silver, but the acid she tried to call upon never sprung from her claws in the mist form she'd called upon. A strong toxic smell filled her nose, but she paid little attention to it, Sesshoumaru having told her that it would not be able to hurt her because it was her own poison, acid, whatever it was. It was still disappointing that she wasn't able to do it, though.

He placed his chin into his hand, his elbow resting on his leg as he watched her try again and again. It was clear that she didn't understand how to call upon the acid the right way, or she would have destroyed half the land around her by them. He knew this because he could smell the toxin swirling just underneath her skin and claws. It was annoying. Either she didn't understand, or she simply did not have the will to destroy anything that she couldn't do it. The girl needed to be angry, or at least somewhat uncaring in order to end up actually calling upon the acid. He was sure he could make her that way. A smirk formed on Sesshoumaru's face, because he could do that quite easily.

Stopping, Kagome sighed. She'd been trying to do this for the last week, since it was now over two months since they'd started school. She was more worried about her studies than anything else, especially now. The marking on her hand shined again as Professor Katana moved into the area where they were training on the training grounds, having gotten permission to use it after class. Still, she paid little attention to this as she tried once more, swinging her arm and trying to push the acid she felt sizzling underneath her skin through her claws, which she knew she could do, she'd done it a few times, but first changing it into a gas form before it sprang from her claws.

She stood off to the side, her cold eyes watching the girl every time she turned, twisted, and thrust her arm out to try and do something. A smirk formed on her lips as a thin strand of acid fell from her claws once they fell to her sides, eating at the ground. She noted that Kagome was having little progress with changing the poison she carried into anything but liquid form, but she also knew that it might take a while before she managed to do anything other than that. Sometimes it took years just for a youkai to completely understand how to change it upon will, but that didn't stop the little voice in the back of Katana's head that told her Kagome's body had excepted her change and she should be able to do it quickly.

Kagome swung her arm once more, but like before she couldn't push the acid out in a gas. This made her angry, and within a moment of anger she gave a short cry and swung her arm angrily, the liquid form of her acid shooting from her claws and hitting a tree nearby. Most of the land they were standing on was merely dirt and grass, but the few trees that were around were going to face her wrath! Especially the one in front of her…

He snorted, listening to the sound of the acid eating away at the bark of the tree. There was a creaking sound, before the tree began tilting to the side, until finally it came crashing to the ground. Still the acid ate away at the bark around it, though in the end it did eat away everything close to it, dropped to the ground, and ate away at that until it finally dissolved. It was almost strange that her poison was more like an acid, but that did not matter to him at the moment as long as it worked.

"I-I," Kagome huffed, now angry with herself for harming an innocent tree – the tree hadn't done anything to her; therefore it was innocent until proven guilty. "I can't do it!" She stomped her foot for effect, huffing once more, " ** _I can't do it_**!"

"If you cannot understand the simplest of instructions – instructions that even a three-year-old would understand -, then of course you cannot," Sesshoumaru growled.

"What?" Kagome snarled, turning toward the person who'd told her to do this in the first place. Her eyes flashed a little as she said this, her anger now directed at Sesshoumaru.

"It is amazing that you're passing all your classes with an A average when you cannot understand the easiest of explanations anyone could have given you. Really, miko, how do you do it? Cheat off of someone next to you, or do you use your powers to remember all the material you need to know?" Sesshoumaru sneered. He didn't understand why, but the place where his heart was located ached a little when he did this, his beast whimpering at the fact that he was being rude to her.

Katana watched with interest as the girl hissed something to him quietly, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. The smell of her anger became almost suffocating as she shot her arm forward, yelling about how he was being rude and he should go fuck himself. She imagined her sticking her finger out at him, but instead the miko-youkai surprised her by shooting all of her fingers out, the spray of her acid shooting from her claws as she gave a cry of anger once more. Her eyes were completely red, though it was clear her beast had not taken over, and she smirked at the fact that the girl managed to do what she just said she couldn't.

The gas came up short from hitting him, almost looking like it was crackling in the air around them. Kagome seemed stunned afterward, and was merely staring at him. She jumped into the air suddenly, nearly three feet not the air.

"I DID IT!"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, "This coming from the miko who just said she couldn't."

Kagome stopped, blinking in surprise. Smiling, she bowed a little, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

Katana finally stepped forward, "I believe it is time that you begin trying to channel both your abilities. I believe the miko Kikyo will do well in this area." She stopped, "Maybe within time we'll be able to find a way to channel both of them at the same time without them fighting against one another. I'm sure that your ancestors did it before you, and you should be able to do it as well."

She turned from them, before saying, "You'll begin in a week."

oOo

She set the journal down, before glancing at the girl she was now sitting with. A frown formed on her lips as she watched her cousin do her homework. They were supposed to be trying to figure out a way to channel both her miko and demonic powers without hurting herself in the process. That was Sesshoumaru's orders, in exchange to tell Inuyasha off, of course. "Um…" Kagome stopped, and frowned deeper. "Kikyo?"

"Hm. Oh, yes." Kikyo turned to her younger cousin. "What is it, Kagome?"

"Are… are you really disgusted with me?" Kagome asked. "I remember what you said when my beast took over and I was just wondering…"

Kikyo sighed, "I apologize, Kagome. I did not mean for my emotions to get the best of me. What I heard from your beast was very disturbing, especially when I… Kagome, do you know what your beast has done?" She waited, before Kagome shook her head. "Kagome, I do apologize. I was angry and I could not control myself. You're my dearest cousin, but with the pressure that Inuyasha had been putting on me I merely became angry."

Kagome frowned, "What is it my beast has done, Kikyo?" She really wanted to know, especially now that Kikyo was once more on her side.

Kikyo reached out and patted her shoulder. "Perhaps that is for another time, Kagome." She shook her head, wondering why Kagome couldn't see it. It was obvious that her darker half had not only seen Sesshoumaru as the dominate male, but it had also chosen it as its mate. Because of this the beast would not give up his presence so easily and would probably fight for him should anyone else try to come between them. However, she could tell that a part of Kagome was still unstable and she might end up doing something that she'd regret, or have Sesshoumaru permanently shun her, thus causing her beast to go mad with want. She didn't want that to befall her cousin, especially since many youkai women who could not handle the constant want while trying to live on committed suicide.

She felt like there was something Kikyo was not telling her, but she shook her head in order to try not to think about it. After all, Kikyo might not have told her things when she said that, but most of the time she did actually tell her after a week or two; when Kikyo felt she was ready to know. Deep down, though, Kagome wanted to know now. She felt one side of her pulling toward Sesshoumaru, another wishing to turn away from him toward something unknown, while another part merely wept over the fact that she could not decide which she truly wanted.

Kagome decided that for now she wouldn't worry about it, though, as she and began trying to channel her miko side, while suppressing her demonic side so much that it would barely even be noticeable, thus not harmed. She was sure she could do that, though, since she'd done it so many times before without realizing that she'd done it at all. Still, as she began she wondered why time seemed to fly by so quickly. Already she felt like she was closer to all her friends than she had been before, but there was something else that she felt within her heart. A piece of her that seemed to grow whenever she was near Sesshoumaru.

A sad smile formed on her lips,  _times moves so quickly when you don't expect it to_.


	18. Jealousy Rules the Heart

Kagura smirked at the sight of Kagome training with Kikyo, before turning from them. Now was the time to find Sesshoumaru. She was positive he wouldn't be able to resist her. Who could, after all she had been one of the most sought after in her old school! Sesshoumaru would surely see that she was much better than that stupid transforming girl, since she was positive her change wasn't complete. Perhaps she needed a trigger in order to make the transformation snap completely into place and then her true power would come forth.

She smirked a little, turning from the sight of the two mikos', though one seemed to have been tainted somewhere along the way. It made her smirk become more solid, thinking about how that stupid girl was filled with nothing but bad luck and evil intentions. She was sure that once she knew Sesshoumaru was no longer in the market she would simply turn her grimy claws onto another poor, helpless, soul. Yes, Sesshoumaru would see that she was merely trying to use him and then he'd fall straight into her bed.

Her fingers twiddled with the fan at her side, wondering what Kanna was up to for a moment. She'd gotten a lecture from her uncle a few hours before, something about causing too much trouble when she should have been doing more productive things. She was apart of the music department; she did something productive everyday, so why couldn't her uncle see that? Being a wind demoness only helped with her flute playing, though she preferred something a bit smaller. The flute was what her family had wanted her to play, though, and that was what she was stuck with.

She had to be happy for Kanna, though. The little void was able to do whatever she wanted when she wanted. She could be the main role, or she could be a minor role as long as she was apart of something. Probably because she was the youngest in their family, at least when it came to her family, not extended. Kagura had always thought that she was pressured to do all these things simply because she was the oldest and she was supposed to create a good example for her younger sister, even if it was only by a year. Strange, Kanna got to do whatever she wanted and yet she barely ever did anything. Kagura blamed that on Kanna's father. The older void youkai had been nothing but emotionless and bland.

What her mother ever saw in a void was beyond her.

Inus, though, were much, much different from near silent void-youkai, though. Very different, indeed, and that was probably what attracted her to Sesshoumaru so much. That stupid little bitch wasn't going to get her hands onto the pedigree she wanted, since she knew for a fact that there was an inu-hanyou in the school. Hanyous were just not her style, which lead her back onto the fan boat for Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru was a full-blooded inuyoukai! She was sure that he would come to understand that he needed another full-blooded youkai as well, instead of some little freak of nature.

A warm, happy, feeling filled her body as she removed her fan from her side and flipped it open in front of her mouth. Behind it there was a small, almost unnoticeable, smile that she concealed, trying to make sure that others did not see anything but the gleam in her eyes. She'd always been the type to hide things, which was why Kagura fluttered her eyelashes, her heart singing as she thought of cuddling up to her inu. No one needed to know this, so she hid it all from the world around her, only the gleam telling others that she was up to no good.

The wind picked up around her, her emotions easily written into the element. Her hair, down for this rare occasion, flowed behind her as if it was playing with invisible treads. Treads that connected her to things around her, one of them being a highly wanted inuyoukai that would one day take her as his mate. That would one day make her into the princess she was and ravished her the way she should have been all her life.

Her family could rot in hell for all she cared.

She would be pampered and they would be given nothing, all of them laughed at from the shadows. They would learn that she had done something with her life and they had done nothing to help her get to that point. She knew her mother would probably smile and say that it was wonderful, but the bitch wouldn't mean it. Her mother was kind-hearted to a certain extent, which was why she was sure her reaction would be different afterward. Her mother would screech, hiss, and whine about how it was unfair for her to have such a fine male while hers were all dead. Yes, for that was the type of selfish bitch she was.

Just like that little freak of a miko.

Kagura snarled at the thought, the image of Sesshoumaru pulling Kagome into his chest still hot in her mind. With unseen claws she ripped it to pieces, only for them to once more rebuild themselves, the memory never fading. Anger and determination caused her happiness to flee in fright, the image suddenly seeming to glow. It was heavenly looking, but as she tried to destroy it she was met with nothing but air, as if the memory was protecting itself.  _I'll erase her from Sesshoumaru's memory forever,_  Kagura snapped at herself.  _That little bitch will have to find another male; Sesshoumaru is mine! Mine!_

To those around her this inner conflict was nothing but a slight twitch of her happy face. A small movement of the eyebrow, telling others that she was annoyed, though it was so much more. The silent emotions of a youkai could be deadly and these would definitely be moments in life that no one would wish to miss. No one knew about this, though, which was why he or she merely steered clear of the demoness who seemed to know exactly where she was going and why.

oOo

She moved, her voice a distant whisper as she spoke the words she'd memorized quickly and easily, portraying the emotion it should have. To those practicing with her, her voice seemed much louder, but to her it was merely a distant roar in her ears. A sound that seemed to be one with everything and nothing at all in the same moment, something that she'd gotten used to a long, long time ago. A time when she'd followed her father around, when he was alive, his silent nature rubbing off on her easily. Only her eyes told her when it was time to act, even the voices of others seeming to fade from the world around her. Something else that she'd gotten used to a long, long time ago. A time when she'd followed her father…

How she acted so well, she was never quite sure about that. She expected it to be because it allowed her to express an emotion that she never truly understood in a single moment. An emotion that had withered away with the death of her father, thus leaving her nothing but an empty shell – there were still many emotions she did not understand, but this one she was curious about. An emotion that seemed to have died the instant he left her life, her mother shunning her on that exact same day, blaming her for his death.

Blaming everything on her and causing her emotions to flee, her body and mind telling her it was all true. She'd killed him while he was trying to teach her something, her eyes having stared into a mirror longer than she should have. His body had been unable to sustain itself without its soul for long and she had not been able to release it. His image, though, she remembered it all too clearly. He'd smiled and silently told her that everything would be all right, she'd done the right thing. A wonderful thing that she'd never understand…

The emotion: love.

…around, when he was alive, his silent nature rubbing off on her easily. Always rubbing off onto her and making her more silent each and everyday, looking into the small mirror she carried. The mirror that still held his soul. The mirror that had taken her daddy from her. The mirror that needed to be destroyed, but she was unsure of the consequences of such actions. It could make him leave her forever now that his body was long since gone and buried. Or maybe it would return to him and his heart would beat once more. The mirror, though, could never tell her, and neither could he. Almost like he was resting, for he never answered her when she called him, he never did anything but sit deep within it, his soul but a small speck on the tainted glass.

She dwelled within herself, never quite knowing which way was out, which way was up. Within water she would merely float, she'd learned that years ago, but her own thoughts and body were so much different. It was like trying to find herself within a dense fog that would never lift from her soul, connected to her like the mirror she carried. Like left was right and right was left, while up became down and down became up. Then she'd find herself hanging onto that belief, only for it to shift once more, causing her to pummel toward death far below. She could only grasp another ledge when she believed in that new truth instead, which took barely a second to happen.

Love abandoned her, long, long ago. In a time when she'd follow in her father's footsteps and smile at him; long, long ago, in a time when…

Her eyes told her when to move, what to do, though everything faded from her consciousness. It was like an act, much like she was doing in practice, merely showing others that she was and could be better than they were when it came to acting. She acted everyday, every second, every time she moved, trying to make others believe one time, while she was withered and dark on the inside. She wore white to show purity, but she knew that she should have always worn black completely, showing her inner darkness.

But that was acting, wasn't it? That was what she loved to do, wasn't it? That was what she wanted to do, wasn't it? Wasn't it? Wasn't it…?

The fog strung things together, making them all seem real when all of them were false. They gave off the face of truth, but she'd soon find that they were anything but. They would all tell her that they were true, that they would never lie to her, but then she would find herself once more stumbling through the fog, trying to find something that she never would. Over and over again, never once stopping its endless cycle, the fog growing denser around her as the practice went on.

Her eyes, dull though not overly so, darkened in color to those around her. It showed the pain she was forced to endure, the crime for her sin. No one noticed this, though, only seeing the happy girl that continued to move from one emotion to another as they continued. Being only practice she did not have to change her outfit, thus she was free to do what she wanted.

Free? She was never free. She was chained to the emotions that she did not understand. Pulling at the chains in order to try and escape them, while they taunted her from all around her. Through her eyes she saw them, everywhere and nowhere, taunting her with their certain gifts and benefits. Never once did she see something bad come from them, which was why they told her they taunted her. Why they said they would never leave her side, and she would forever be stuck with them.

Love… she'd follow her father around, a bright smile on her face as she awaited his next instruction, her mother far in the back of her mind…

Inside she was clutching her head, tears streaming down her face as she tried to control the thoughts roaming about. Each and every time she'd grasp one it would cling to another, causing them to once more become entangled in an endless sea of nothing. Nothing but what she saw as fog and cliffs, ledges and black water ready to consume her very being. Chains connected her to the emotions she wished to understand, while she felt nothing. Nothing but emptiness. Nothing that could ever help her when she needed its guidance and wisdom… only her father could have done that.

Nothing, for that was what she was.

She was Kanna, and she was a void.

A pit of bitter blackness that continued to shift and turn, change so that she could never quite grasp one thing at a time. No one ever saw that, though, for she was one of the greatest actors and she could play any role. Which was why she distantly heard the sound of clapping when they finally ended the final scene, at last done with the practice for the day. There would be another tomorrow, and another the next day, and so on, but no one would ever see the bitter little girl trying to grasp onto nothing, yet everything. No, for she would not allow them to.

Only one fleeting thought managed to filter itself through her flipping thoughts. One that seemed to darken her mood a little, though no one ever noticed. The thought was simple, but very complex at the same time, having actually managed to make it through her string of confusing nothingness. A thought that she knew she would follow in order for it to not come again anytime soon.

 _Perhaps I should see what Kagura is up to…_  and then everything went blank again.

oOo

 _This sucks_ , he thought, tilting his head back. His silver hair touched the floor as he stared up at the lights, wondering how he'd gotten himself into this mess. He could act, very well, in fact, but he'd been told he'd be doing stage work because of his mouth.  _Stupid Kiko. It's not fair. All I did was tell Kikyo that she had a nice rack, and I get into trouble for it._

His ears flattened against his head as he thought about it. Kikyo had been avoiding him like the plague, hanging out with Suikotsu more and more whenever they were practicing. Of course, she didn't have to practice today because she had special permission from Professor Katana to be elsewhere on certain days. Kikyo, he was sure, could make up those days, but it was still as boring as hell without her there. Besides, she was a lot more interesting than that stupid Miroku that he had to work with because of his wandering hand.

The sound of a slap, followed by Kiko's scolding, soon filled his ears. It wasn't like he cared; his eyes were on that stupid idiot, Suikotsu, as he was praised for his wonderful job. He narrowed his eyes, barely noticing that the girl dressed in completely white, a youkai, had left. He noticed something as it happened, though. The slight flickering of Suikotsu's eyes before the guy completely turned toward the direction the girl had gone.

He knew the girl, she was Kanna and she'd gotten one of the main roles. Something he thought Kikyo had deserved, but Kanna was a very good actress. The little void youkai, though their age, barely came up to his elbow, wore completely white, and gave off a completely emotionless vibe. Most voids' did, but she just seemed like she had more troubling her than anything or anyone else. He could see it in her eyes whenever she turned to give him a completely blank stare, even if her body seemed to fill with emotion upon the stage. Her eyes, they stayed emotionless, like she was trying to remember something important but couldn't quite come up with the answer.

What felt like a hot blade running through his chest over and over again began to fade when he noticed something in Suikotsu's stance. It was something that caused a smirk to form on Inuyasha's lips and an evil gleam to glitter in his golden eyes. Something very important that just popped into his head, though he knew he could have been wrong. He wasn't wrong on this one, he was positive, especially after watching Miroku all day long. The blade that had jammed itself into his chest seemed to slide right out, a feeling of conquest filling his being.

He'd won! Kikyo would be his in no time!

He wanted to laugh, scream it at the top of his lungs. It was right before his very eyes, and the longing in Suikotsu's only gave away the fact that he was completely vulnerable at this moment. Because of one thing and one thing only: Suikotsu has the hots for Kanna!

The bastard wanted to be friends with Kikyo, but wanted to ride the little void like there was no tomorrow. It was the greatest thing he'd seen all year!

"Inuyasha!"

"Ow," Inuyasha whined, turning to find Kiko standing over him. He rubbed at his ears, wondering how the hell she'd gotten so close without him knowing. Especially close enough to tug at his ears. He should kill her for that, but he knew that would get him nowhere. And he wanted to get somewhere! "What was that for?" he asked, trying not to snap at her. He didn't need detention now!

"I've been calling you for the last few minutes, Inuyasha. Obviously you do not wish to pay attention within my class or our practices, which means one thing and one thing only. You're not here to learn, you're here to cause trouble, and I won't have that, Inuyasha. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to give you another day of—" Kiko stuck her finger in the air, ready to give him another day when he suddenly jumped up and covered her mouth with his hand. Pulling it away, she glared at him, "Mr. Taisho," she only said this when  _very_  angry, "that is not the way to get out of detention. You're getting another day, two in fact, whether you like it or not! Now, GET TO WORK!"

He waved his hands in front of his face, "Hai, hai!"  _Damn you!_

oOo

He stiffened, a familiar scent filling his nose as suddenly arms wrapped around his waist, the manicured claws linking together in order to keep him in the strong hold of the female behind him. A growl filled his chest, quickly telling the female that she should release him from her hold or she was going to be hurt. It was obvious from the pressing of her breasts against his back that she hadn't got the message, which caused his menacing growl to change into a loud snarl. It frightened many students who had also been within the same aisle as him in the library.

"Kagura," he hissed.

The wind demoness smirked, tightening her arms around the midsection of her prey. Her ruby lips were moistened as she stroked her tongue over them, wondering exactly how the clothed male in her grasp would taste. She was sure he'd be better than anything she'd ever had the pleasure to trying. "Aren't you happy to see me, Sesshoumaru? After all, that miko  _freak_  has been claiming all of your attention when she does not deserve it. I do not know why you even allow her the privilege, when its so obvious what you really want," she chuckled softly, her red eyes glittering with excitement.

His nose wrinkled upon the thought, wondering where exactly the bitch was getting these thoughts. She needed to begin thinking more with her head and less with her  _needs._  "And I presume you believe what I really want is for an annoying demoness to constantly try to gain this Sesshoumaru's attention?" he snorted.

She felt her excitement begin to wane a little, almost draining completely from her body. Curling her lip up in a sneer, she replied, "Don't tell me you enjoy the company of that… that  _whore_." She released him from her hold, clenching her hands at her sides. The feel of her claws digging into her palms was enough to make not strike out at the male before her. She knew that doing so would cause him to strike back and then she'd never have her chance with him.

Sesshoumaru shook his head, placing the book he'd pulled off the shelf and placed it neatly back into its place. "Is that truly the only insult that you can come up with, Kagura? This Sesshoumaru has heard you use it many times," he murmured, his voice soft, delicate, yet frozen over as much as he could get it. He was positive that if he were an ice using youkai that everything within the library would be covered in the frozen substance.

She stuck her finger out, quickly poking him in the shoulder with her sharpened claw. "How dare you protect that bitch!" she hissed. "She has done nothing to deserve your loyalty, nor has she come to deserve anything you could give her!"

He turned to her, his golden eyes narrowed into slits. "Let me guess, you believe you are deserving of such things…?"

"Of course  _I_  am!" Kagura snarled. "I am not her! I deserve anything that miko  _freak_  should never be allowed to even gaze upon! I am full-blooded, Sesshoumaru. Do you wish to mate with a  _freak_  so badly that you would forget your heritage?" Her eyes flashed to a darker crimson, almost black in color. "I deserve to be able to…!"

"What's the matter, Kagura?" Sesshoumaru smirked, "Miko got your tongue?"

She stopped, her eyes almost pleading as she listened to his tone. Her plans were going down the drain quickly. She needed a way to get him to come to reason, and fast. Something should have been able to work! There had to be something that would pull him back into her grasp. There had to be something that would win him over and make him decide the miko freak wasn't worth his time. Her hand had fallen to her side, once again her claws digging into her palm, blood beginning to leak from the crescent shaped wounds and fill her clenched hands, searching for an escape. Her mind was frantic; hoping beyond hope that she could come up with something, for her mind was now blank that she had Sesshoumaru close enough to snatch him away. She didn't know what to do, and that was something she was not used to. Something that caused her panic to begin rising, her rise nearly heaving as she searched for answers to her questions.

He smirked, "Scared, Kagura?" His eyes took on a predatory look, "Then again, perhaps it is best for you to feel fear. Then you will not try to once again come within my presence. A place you're clearly not welcome. It seems one of your intelligence cannot come to comprehend that, though." His eyes narrowed a bit more for she wasn't paying attention to him. He wasn't even sure if she'd heard his words.

It clicked suddenly:  _seduction,_  what she'd decided she was going to sidestep because of who he was. He might push her away. He probably would. Still, there was nothing else she could try. She had to at least go ahead and push herself until she managed to cross the line he'd drawn in hope for her to finally step across. He wanted her to go over her bounds and enter his side in order for them to come together in unison. He wanted that… he  _had to_.

Jealousy raged within her mind when it finally came to register that he'd asked if a miko had her tongue. She could not remember exactly, but she could almost bet that he'd said something along the time same lines to her once before. He was always referring to that bitch. Always giving out little hints that he was beginning to grow soft for a  _freak_. A freak that needed to be wiped clean from both their slates so they could move into the future  _together_ , not apart.

His lip lifted in disgust, "You're a complete waste of my time. Leave this Sesshoumaru's presence before I force you."

"Sesshoumaru," she hissed, her voice taking on a sultry tone. Her hopeful, lusty, eyes turned up to look into his golden orbs, the same ones that reflected a frozen winter. She reached out, hearing the sound of footsteps echo within her ears, though she did not come to register that perhaps someone was watching this exchange. Her mind was on one of two things: seducing her future mate, which in turn would destroy the heart of the miko freak.

Sesshoumaru's head turned upon hearing footsteps, watching as another demoness stepped into the aisle he currently occupied. She was small, dressed completely in white, and her eyes were glazed over in what seemed to be various feelings that changed continuously. He swore he saw two fleeting figures far off in the background behind her, but ignored it when a familiar scent wafted up into his nose. A scent that was coming from the aisle just next to the one he was within, telling him that  **she**  was watching what was happening.  _Kagome…_

She grinned, allowing her hand to graze over his chest, taking in every detail that she felt underneath his clothing. She allowed her memory to burn the feeling into her mind, for it was something she wanted to remember forever. The first time that her mate allowed her to touch him! The first time that he'd come to accept the fact that he needed her, not some freak of nature. With growing confidence she placed her other hand onto his body, greedily taking in everything that she could while he allowed this to go on. A familiar ache formed in the pit of her stomach, while something even lower began to throb with need.

A gasp filled the near silence air around them.

Kagura snapped her head to the side, her eyes once again taking on the deeper crimson from before. Whoever dared take a peek at her male would be killed, or at least put into their place.  _No_   _one_  deserved what she was beginning to rightfully take! The red began to fade when she managed to catch the scent around them, a feral grin forming on her ruby lips.  _The miko has done something right for once_ , she chuckled to herself. It was so ironic that the first time she managed to make Sesshoumaru see the light that the miko just happened to come upon them. Her poor widdle heart must have been bleeding. The thought made her want to laugh and then take the mouth of  ** _her_**  inuyoukai heir.

Sesshoumaru's ears picked up the sound of running feet as the miko suddenly pushed herself away from the hole she'd been gazing through. He'd managed to catch her eyes, but it seemed that she hadn't gotten anything he'd been trying to send to her. For some reason his heart clenched at the sound of her fleeing away from his presence, and a deep frown settled itself onto his face. He did not understand the emotions that were rushing throughout his body. He didn't like them, either. He wanted them to simply go away; because there was no way he actually liked Kagome. His eyes widened a little,  _when did I begin calling her by her first name?_

Kagura allowed a wicked giggle to pass her lips, suddenly pressing her entire body against her soon-to-be lovers, hoping he enjoyed it as much as she did. Her hands kneaded the muscles beneath them the best they could, silently taking in the feeling it gave her. The want to simply rip his clothing away in order to touch his skin, instead of simply imagining what he looked like without the offensive fabric.

She watched them both, her thoughts slowly running through the things that could happen. Curiosity flittered into the mass of confusion for only a minute, slightly wondering what could happen. The main things that could… a small throb filled her entire body. Her hand clenched the mirror at her side, her other going up to clasp a bunch of her hair in a tight grip. Trying to control the emotions that were going throughout her, trying to stop the madness for even a moment. For she knew that no matter how much satisfaction she would find from watching such an act that it would soon simply vanish. It would be gone before she managed to understand it, just like everything else that ever managed to get into her head.

She remembered such feelings the last time she'd decided she'd watch her sister through her mirror. She knew it was like a window to whatever she wished to see, but she remembered the feelings she'd gotten when she'd first seen her sister  _rutting_  with a handsome, well built, male. Her eyes unfocused, her body feeling like it was swaying. It'd been so long since she'd last…

A tear leaked from the corner of her eye. She missed him so much. Yet she didn't feel anything from it. She didn't know what to think. She was simply there. She was something, yet nothing. She was a void who would never find anything within life worthwhile. So, why didn't she just end it? Why didn't she just… seen her sister do such a thing. She'd missed that feeling that rushed throughout her as she listened to the noise that came through her mirror and into her ears only… end the life that she had? Why didn't she just decide to try and suck her soul from herself, or at least battle someone in order to die?

Because she was weak. She knew she was. That was one of the reasons she found satisfaction in the knowledge that she could act out life within such beautiful, or what others said were, pieces of work. She could make others believe emotions that were not truly real. She could make them believe anything, or she was the greatest actor; she acted out her entire life. She'd always acted, always.

She was considered nothing, not only by herself, but also by everyone around her. That was why she knew nothing, she was nothing, she didn't know… She missed him so much. She missed him and she missed the feelings that rushed through her body listening…  _listening_  to those wonderful sounds. Her eyes clouded over more, remembering, hoping as well, those beautiful things she'd seen through her mirror.

Kanna gripped her hair tighter, trying to get rid of the rambling thoughts. Trying to make them finally string together with the thoughts that they should have been connected with. To make them go together with what they should have been with. But she knew they wouldn't. They never would, for that was how she was. She was a nothing that had to suffer for her sins. She  _needed_  these things in order to survive the rest of life, no matter what was thrown at her.

He sniffed the air, suddenly growling when he caught the scent of those two bastards. The scent of the kitsune twins who'd become a little too fond of Kagome. He made sure that he would never forget it, for that would only cause them to take advantage of the situation. She was his responsibility and he planned on making sure he protected her. Even if it was from idiotic men and youkai who wished to try and tread over the line she'd created for suitors. The line that he was planning to reinforce!

Kagura moaned to herself, pressing her lower body up against his body in order to create more friction. In one bold move she moved her hand down and gripped his covered…

He tensed, suddenly pulling away from the demoness that had somehow gone unnoticed by him this entire time. He glared at her as she gazed at him in confusion, obviously wondering why he'd pulled away so abruptly. "Do not touch this Sesshoumaru," he snarled, knocking her hand away when she reached out to touch him once again.

Kagura hissed, "What is wrong with you? You're enjoying it just a moment ago!" Jealousy once more gripped her, her eyes filling with wetness, while she felt blood flood into her eyes. The wounds that had closed on the palms of her hands, healed by then, were reopened as she punctured them with her claws once more.  _I'd been so close!_

He raised his hand as a threat, "Do not ever tell this Sesshoumaru what he enjoys and what he does not, bitch!" His mind was on finding Kagome and hopefully make her see that he hated the feeling of Kagura's hands wandering over his body. Hell, he hadn't even noticed that she was touching him until just now. Still, it sent shivers up his spine to even think about it, but they were not good shivers.

She placed her hand onto his chest again, snarling in his face. "Tell me you like this!  _Tell me_!" she nearly shouted.

His hand reared back completely, and came down to strike her across the face. He was within his bounds. He knew he was, no matter what the rules on violence were. She should not have touched him once he'd told her not too. It was within the bounds that any rule was set around, because he'd warned her. It was her own fault for bringing it upon herself, thus causing her to be struck to the ground. He glared at her as she gazed up at him with wide eyes, silently asking him, pleading with him, not to do what she thought he was more in likely going to do. He sneered at her, and turned away, anger gripping his insides, telling him that he needed to find what had distracted him enough to allow her to touch him in the first place.

Once alone, Kagura felt a sob rise within her chest. She never noticed that Kanna had come to sit by her while she curled against a bookcase, nor did she noticed that she was soon giving choking sobs that were filled with despair. That bitch had taken everything she'd wanted from her. That  _freak_  had taken the only way she had to get away from her mother until she could find another high ranking male. She was alone, and dwelling with her own misery, hatred beginning to grip her insides.

Jealousy ruled her, but she knew that stepping over the bounds again would only cause Sesshoumaru to once again strike at her. Either that or she'd have to allow the freak to strike her, for it was within her rights because of Sesshoumaru's rank. She shook her head,  _iie; it is not until he has claimed her as his own. Until he has announced that he shall one day take her, no matter what anyone else thinks_.

oOo

"Beautiful, wasn't it, dear brother," Akio asked, grinning with glee. He knew for a fact Kagome had seen more than she should have. He knew that she'd come there even though she didn't exactly know why she'd wanted to come there anyway. Kitsune magic was such a wonderful thing once mastered to a certain degree.

Haruki nodded, also grinning despite himself. It was fun to play with the emotions of others, even though he was worried for his brother. He wasn't acting like he had. Probably because he'd gotten a taste of something he wanted, and now thought about nothing but that certain thing. The miko had actually managed to cause his brother to embrace something unknown with a single kiss, though she hadn't seemed to want it. "Hai."

Akio smiled, "I believe it is time, dear brother."

Haruki's grin turned into a predatory one, instead of merely one of mischief. He nodded a few times. "Hai, brother. Now would be the perfect time to snatch the miko away from that mutt. He will never see it coming, for his wind demoness should be able to distract him long enough for us to  _steal_  her heart. Then he will no longer be able to come between us."

Akio's eyes glittered, the black color lightening to a gleaming obsidian. He began to walk briskly in the direction he'd seen his dear miko travel in just moments before. He was positive that he'd be able to take advantage of her jealous heart, her bleeding soul. A risky move, perhaps a poor one, for moving onto the ground of a hurting woman wishing for only comfort, but still what he would do. He would show his miko that she needed him. His eyes turned to look at his dear brother from the corner of his eye, a frown touching the corners of his lips.  _Not even you will snatch her away, dear brother. She shall be mine, and mine alone._

"Brother—"

Akio allowed his fangs to show as he turned to smile at Haruki. "—it begins," he finished. "Finally, it begins."


	19. A Needed Push

He kicked his feet while moving down the hallway, mad at himself and at the woman who wouldn't allow him to get within a few feet of her. He was starting to hate the fact that she was a miko, but he couldn't stop what she'd been born as, nor what she was becoming. Hell, he loved what she was becoming, because it meant that there was a higher chance of his line continuing, instead of simply dying out. And, there was also the fact that if she was able to use both her holy powers and her demonic ones then it was a high chance that his pups wouldn't be destroyed before they were born.

His hands clenched at his side, wondering why the hell she wouldn't allow him to get close to her. She was his woman, damn it! As a miko she should have known that when an ookami makes a claim they keep it, they fight for it, and they pursue it. Yes, there were times when they came home with their tail between their legs because the woman was being hard to get, but she should have known that she needed to turn him down. She needed to demand him to leave her be if she didn't want his attention. He wasn't that thick headed, but he wasn't going to give her up until he heard it from her own mouth, telling him bluntly and exactly what she wanted from him.

Stuffing his clawed hands into his pockets, Kouga sighed, wondering just where his life had taken such a turn. He knew that he wanted Kagome, and he knew that he wouldn't give up on her, but it was so hard to not try to hold a grudge against her every time she pushed him away. He'd go if she'd tell him to, but he wouldn't if she merely put up her stupid fucking barrier. She was just trying to play with him in his mind, silently telling him that if he could find a way through her barrier without being purified that she'd allow him to take her. That he'd be able to feel the softness of her thighs while she wrapped them around him…

The image was hot on his mind, causing him to once again wish for a nice cold shower, but he knew that that would only get him so far. It wouldn't make the thoughts of his beautiful little miko vixen to leave. It wouldn't make him simply stop thinking about finally laying her down on a nice bed and fucking the hell out of her once she realized he was the ookami of her dreams. He was the only man of her life, and the only thing she would ever need to make her happy. Yes, and Kouga was determined to make her believe it as well, because… because…

Because then he would get his well sought after reward.

He knew there was a problem with every plan he managed to make, though. That damn barrier. He needed to find a way so that she couldn't sense him and put that damn thing up before he got within twenty feet. Hell, he wasn't even sure if she was simply doing because she sensed him, or if it was instinctive anymore. That bugged the crap out of him. Just thinking about the fact that she might do it without thinking about it was annoying to him, since he rarely saw her glare at him anymore – no, for her eyes were usually on that damn inu.

How he was beginning to hate that bastard. The mutt, his younger half-brother, was a real thorn in his side, but the elder was even worse. He was constantly around Kagome. Constantly covering her in his scent as if he was trying to tell the entire youkai population that there was no fucking chance they were going to have her. He doubted that she would wish to be treated like a possession, but he wasn't even sure if she could see the inu doing it. Even if she was starting to come over to the youkai side, she remained blissfully unaware whenever she was near that bastard and that really ticked him off. That damn Sesshoumaru didn't deserve Kagome, especially now that she was beginning to turn full-youkai, though he wasn't sure just how far her form would change.

Kouga scowled, his hands fisting inside his pockets, his mind whirling with possibilities. He hated everything that was happening around him, especially everything that happened to focus around Kagome. He wasn't sure what was happening exactly, but instinctively he knew he shouldn't like it and he didn't. He knew it wasn't just unlike, though, no he hated the feeling that came with it, but he wasn't sure why.

Then there was the fact that he wasn't even sure anymore why he was continuing to silently stalking her. He'd never done that before, but he chalked it up as the fact that he couldn't get close to her. Usually if there was a female he wished to court, before he found out they only wanted his money or sex, he'd hound them, not silently stalk. It felt weird and unusual to him. He was beginning to feel weird and unusual. He had this weird feeling that something big was happening but he wasn't invited.

Sniffing the air he growled, he wasn't sure why but he did. There was just the faintest hint of kitsune magic lingering in the air and it was something that he knew he wasn't going to like. Those thoughts quickly swept away, however, when he caught the lingering scent of Kagome underneath it all. His eyes narrowed, wondering why someone would have even had the balls to cast a spell onto a miko of her power? Better yet, why?

Stalking off into the direction that he could smell her scent, Kouga began tracking her. Maybe why she was underneath the spell he'd be able to get close to her, to tell her how he felt, truly. That he wasn't just going after her for a quick fuck like a lot of others would be doing, or anything like that. He wanted to love her, to show her what it was like to have a true youkai for a mate. A willing, able, strong, and capable youkai that wanted her for her intelligence, beauty, and everything that was so distant from her power that he wasn't even thinking about it.

Kouga growled louder when another scent came into his nose.  _Arousal_. His eyes began to bleed when he recognized Kagome's scent, his feet instantly beginning to pick off the ground. Speed was something that he'd been familiar with his entire life and it was not hard to rush out through the doors that led outside, his eyes taking in everything. The blood red in front of his eyes pierced through the darkness; searching…  _searching_  for the woman he wanted, knowing that she was somewhere close. His nose picked up the scent of kitsune, along with that of the inu, and a loud snarl rose from his throat.

No one would take his woman without a fight. She was  _his_. She just hadn't come to terms with the idea, yet, but once she did she would thank him over and over again with kisses and sex. She would thank him for taking her away from possessive inus and playful kitsune who merely wanted to play with her heart. Yes, and then he would be the only on with the prize, while the others were hit with their shame and disappointment.

He snarled, only to receive one in return when his eyes fell onto the inu that was standing not far away. He was tense, and when his eyes fell onto why, he stiffened as well. The image burned itself into his mind, showing him over and over again why even the taiyoukai heir was suddenly so on edge. He couldn't take anymore, he snarled louder, listening to the snickering of one of the kitsune. He stomped his foot, shouting, " _Get the hell away from my woman_!"

oOo

Kagome sniffled, coming to a stop outside, her hand gripping a nearby bench as she leaned into it. Her eyes stared blankly at nothing, everything, at the same time, wondering why her heart hurt so much. Why there was such a loud roaring in the back of her head, and why she felt the need to rip something apart. The piece of her that always rebelled against the idea of going near Sesshoumaru was acting up again, taking control of her feelings as she told herself she didn't care. The piece of her that did was quickly shoved into the background, while she seated herself onto the bench, her eyes filling with a red haze that she was sure she'd seen before.

Her hand clenched in her lap, while her eyes stared down at them. She felt wet streaks travel down her face, and drip onto her hands. She was slightly curious as to why they were red when they hit her skin, but she paid it little mind. She was angry; her small claws were biting into her flesh, though not enough to draw blood. She was pissed, and she wanted to rip something to shreds, and most of the things that came to her mind should have horrified her, she knew. But they didn't, and she wanted to act on them.

Shaking her head, Kagome stared at the ground in front of her, never really taking notice to anything around her as she did. The part of her that wanted to slice Kagura's head from her shoulders was pushing against her suddenly resolve, her determination to stay away from Sesshoumaru. To forget about that blasted jerk and go on with her life, even though she knew that she'd grown accustomed to having him around. However, there was that part of her that always wanted to stay away from the heir and that part of her was beginning to take over. It was beginning to override her mind even as she brought a hand up to pull lightly at her hair in hopes of making the thoughts go away. That part of her wanted something else, something that it would throw away without a second thought, but she didn't know what it was.

She didn't want to!

The piece of her that was still slightly ningen, no matter how much her body continued to change on the inside, merely shrunk down. Almost like it knew now that it wouldn't be able to fight the change that was occurring inside of her. It was a strange feeling, one that she wasn't sure she could handle. Like a piece of her was dying, as another was being born in hopes of changing her completely. It hurt.

The red tears that fell from her eyes continued to flow, each one of them quickly followed by another as the two sides began to fight. Her thoughts had distracted her long enough to allow the thoughts of Sesshoumaru to return, which caused them to fight against one another. Like she needed to decide which one she wanted before the fighting would stop. But she didn't know what to do, which confused her more than ever before. She didn't understand. She wasn't even sure if she wished to understand!

Determination reared its head once more, and she wanted to make it all go away. She wanted to make it all stop! To stop thinking about that stupid full-blooded inu that was now officially her bodyguard and teacher. The jerk that had been constantly throwing insults at her since she'd met him, no matter how many times the thought of being nice to him crossed her mind, instead of throwing her own insults back. She'd once thought that maybe he'd be nice to her if she was nice to him, but then he'd thrown the very thought back in her face. So why did her heart hurt when she wanted to stop thinking about him, simply ignore him and possibly put up a barrier like she'd done with an idiotic ookami?

A hot feeling surged through her chest, a growl rising along with it. She didn't know what it was, but at the moment she didn't care. Her claws finally sank into her flesh, blood swelling around the sharp talons, before sliding over her palms and into the ground below her. The red of her eyes darkened, the feeling growing as she sniffed the air a bit around her. There was something in air that she couldn't describe, but she didn't care. She only wanted to focus on getting those stupid thoughts she'd always had about Sesshoumaru out of her head!

"It seems that a beautiful maiden has lost her way, brother."

Snapping her eyes up she caught sight of two blurry figures, one of which was coming to sit beside her. She growled again, though the piece of her that almost hated Sesshoumaru enjoyed the fact that they were there. She recognized the voice was Haruki, so she suspected that the one now sitting next to her was Akio, gently brushing her red tears from her cheeks. She continued to growl, while her head pressed into Akio's hand, encouraging the action. Akio was nice, but she wasn't even sure why she was trying to make him continue, especially when she was still growling.

Akio smiled, "Hai, I believe a maiden has lost her way, though why, I do not know, dear brother. Perhaps she will be willing to tell us…?"

"Kagura," she hissed, her voice dark.

"Ah," Akio nodded. "The wind bitch, hai?" Seeing her nod, he smiled softly at her, continuing to brush aside her strangely colored tears. "Dear brother, perhaps the fair maiden would be willing to take that stroll—"

"—we offered not long ago," Haruki smirked. He remembered that, but that stupid inu had gotten into the way. Perhaps they would have gotten their prize then if it weren't for him. The stupid Western Lord's heir needed to learn when he wasn't wanted, especially now that the miko was beginning to understand what she wanted. She didn't need that stupid inu; she needed them until they had had their fill of her.

"Iie," she hissed. Her voice was darker, her eyes finally focusing on them both. Her face pressed closer to Akio's hand, the part of her that wanted contact with them surfacing. Her tears began to diminish, though the growl that had rose from her chest continued to echo into the area they were now within.

"That's a shame," Haruki muttered. "It would have been very nice. The moon is high and the air is clear. But we could simply stay here—"

Akio tilted his head, his eyes closing, "—and enjoy the company of each other. After all, it would not be right for us to leave a maiden alone in her time of need." Opening his black eyes, he saw her turn her own red ones toward him, the silent question within them easily seen.

"Nor is it right to leave such a pretty miko alone when it is clear her heart yearns for something," Haruki said, sitting down on the other side of her. Taking her hand within his own, he looked down at the blood sliding down her wrist. "You've infected a wound upon yourself, beautiful maiden. It leads one to wonder why you would do such a thing—"

"—to such beautiful flesh," Akio finished.

Haruki frowned, "It is a shame we do not have the natural healing saliva like inus, brother. But perhaps," his hand glowed a little, "we could heal the wounds… with your permission, of course, beautiful maiden."

"Kagome," she whispered. "Please, call me Kagome."

"Very well, Kagome," Haruki smiled, watching as her eyes turned to him. The red was disappearing, but he noticed that her normally blue eyes were lighter, almost the color of the sky, instead of the dark color they normally were. Curious as to why, he pressed his hand to the wound, feeling the magic instantly taking affect, beginning to stitch the wound together while he gazed at her. He didn't know why, but he could almost understand his brother's strange fascination with her. The look in her eyes moved him for some reason, and he blinked in surprise when she leaned closer to him.

Akio frowned at the attention his dear brother was getting, though he was glad she was advancing upon one of them. It meant that soon he'd have her within his grasp, and then he'd never let her go. Trying to divert her attention from his brother, he grasp her other hand, gently tugging at it until she turned toward him once again, her eyes softening further. Placing his own hand over her own he allowed the same magic his brother was using to begin healing her wound. "Such flesh should not be marred," he mumbled. "It should be against nature for something as beautiful as you to have such scars, even if they would heal over and be barely noticeable."

Her anger began to disappear, another emotion rising above it as she gazed at the two of them. They'd never tried to hurt her, only make her feel special with words. Something told her that they were merely playing with her as kitsunes usually would, but the part of her that had flattened her desire to be near Sesshoumaru didn't care. It wanted to play with these two as much as they were playing with her, knowing that though they'd most likely part ways that it would gain knowledge from the experience. It would get what it wanted and they would get what they wanted before they split and that was perfectly fine with it.

Warmth spread from her hands and up into her arms, bathing her gently in the feeling of being with them. She stared into the glittering black eyes that Akio possessed, wondering silently why she was feeling this way. She never felt this while near Sesshoumaru, only the want to be near him, to make him understand that she was right for him. That no one else should ever be able to come near him but her. This was different, though. She accepted the fact that she might have the share the twins, and she didn't mind. It was like she almost wanted to, knowing that sooner of later she would grow bored of them and need something more. Something a little more… rare and divine.

She'd felt drawn to Haruki, but her eyes slipped from Akio's to his tilted lips, the slight smirk even more fascinating than anything else at the moment. Without knowing it, her growl died completely, her body leaning closer to the warmth that Akio radiated. Something told her that he wanted her, really wanted her, but she merely chalked it up as women's intuition. She pressed lightly against him, since he had rotated his upper body so that he was facing her, and stared at him. Seeing his lips tilt a little more, she parted her own lips, and pressed hers against his own.

Akio smiled softly, tilting his head more for a better angle, pressing against the miko. Something within him called more to her, knowing that something was different about her and that he liked it. He moved a bit, encouraging her to do the same, hoping that she would respond to him and he would be able to dabble in her depths. See if she tasted as good as she smelled, since he was sure he'd enjoy simply wrapping his tongue around her own fleshy appendage.

His green eyes widened a bit, watching as Akio slowly tried to get the miko to take advantage of what he was giving her. Haruki smirked, his mind instantly jumping to more pleasurable things, but knowing that that would have to come later. She was new to the things they would do to her, after all, which meant they needed to go slow enough to not frighten her away. What was the point of capturing her if they weren't allowed to get the full prize, and simply because they'd gone a little to fast? Nothing would come of it, and he knew that he could help the little miko along, even if he felt a pang in his chest as he continued to watch.

Pulling his hand away from her own, he examined the wound, nodding at the fact that the small crescents were now gone. His hand placed itself onto the blood that had smeared over her skin and ran through it, gently running it up her arm in small patterns. His lips found themselves on her covered shoulder, gently placing a kiss there before moving upward, his mouth seeking skin. Once he found the exposed skin of her neck, he attacked it, savoring the slightly salty taste that bathed her body. He placed a hot trail of kisses along her neck, bringing his mouth up to press against her ear once he reached it. "You like this, don't you,  _Kagome_?" he whispered, his tone just low enough that she would hear the words clearly, but they sounded almost breathless. He received a tiny moan and smirked, quickly moving to take her earlobe into his mouth and beginning to suck.

Gently running his tongue over her bottom lip, Akio waited to see if she'd give into his want and open her mouth. He wanted her to invite him in, for he didn't want to force his way into her cavern. He felt his brother's face bump against his and opened his eyes to find his brother sucking on her jaw and neck. Glaring for only a moment, his attention was returned to Kagome when he felt her mouth open a bit, and quickly pressed his tongue inside. He whimpered a bit, feeling her tongue lightly touch his, almost like she wasn't quite sure how to approach him.

Kagome pulled away, pressing a small kiss to his mouth before he was able to suck her tongue down his throat. She moaned, turning her face when she felt Haruki place a kiss against the side of her mouth. Turning her head she engaged him, pressing her mouth against his hot one, her hand coming up to grab the front of his shirt. She felt Akio's tongue run along the side of her neck and moaned again. The back of her mind was screaming at her as she continued, though, something asking her why the hell she was doing this. Why she was suddenly throwing herself at these two?

Another presence tore through her mind and her eyes opened a bit to see Sesshoumaru standing not far away. A growl rose in her chest, the piece of her that didn't like him rising threateningly, warning him to stay away. The piece of her that did began clawing at her once more, and she was confused. The twins took control of the situation, her frozen posture merely moving as they moved her about. She felt both of them very close at that moment, each one of them trying to snap at the other in order to kiss her, though she wasn't entirely aware of it. Not while her opposing personalities fought against each other.

Sesshoumaru tensed, his eyes flooding over with blood as he watched the sight. Something inside of him snapped, his feet moving forward in order to stop what was happening. The kitsunes had no right! She was not theirs! She was… she was… she was  _his_! His feet came to a stop when he heard her growl, and he growled himself. She dared challenge him? She dared try and keep him away when he was higher in rank than she was? She should be grateful that he wanted her at all!

He turned slightly, his claws ready to strike out. He tensed more; ready for the fight that he knew would most likely come with it. He knew what he wanted now and there was no way he was going to go without it. No one would stand in his way and he'd make sure that he protected her from the feelings that probably put her into this position. Even if it meant making sure Kagura was in the medical wing for the rest of their stay there. Just to make sure that stupid bitch didn't come near them again, at least until he figured out just what he was going to do with her. Yes, he considered her his, but how far would that actually go?

How long would it last?

His eyes darkened, the blood red color menacing, shocking to anyone who saw it. Probably erotic to some, but he didn't care at the moment. His beast was beginning to surface, calling to her own. He smirked when he noticed that her attention was drawn to him, the kitsunes trying to bring her attention back to them as they began to growl. Stiffening, he was ready to flick his wrist when…

" _Get the hell away from my woman_!"

Akio's head snapped up, the growl that formed in his chest finally coming out at full force. "Kagome does not belong to you, ookami!" he snapped. "Or have you not noticed the way she pushes you away, fool? She is mine!"

Haruki snarled, his eyes changing to red. "Iie,  _brother_ , she is not yours! She is ours!"

That was all that was needed to push not only Sesshoumaru, but also Kagome over the edge. Sesshoumaru stood there, snarling, his beast beginning to take full control until it noticed the way that Kagome had tensed between the two kitsunes. He smirked, feeling her anger pop around in the air around them. If he'd had any doubts about her not being able to still use her miko abilities, then he would have crushed them at that moment. He could feel it popping in the air around them while she stood, her eyes glowing as she looked at them all.

"What do you think I am, some type of possession?" Kagome hissed. "I am not simply some type of toy that you can play with! I don't  _belong_  to any of you!" Her eyes snapped up to Sesshoumaru's, noticing that he hadn't said anything. She stepped toward him, and shrugged off Akio's hand when the kitsune tried to stop her. "I'm afraid that you're all little boys who do not deserve to be in my presence! I will not be treated this way!"

Stiffening, she stepped in front of the taiyoukai heir, "Please take me inside, Sesshoumaru."

Kouga growled, "There's no way I'm letting that stupid inu take you anywhere. You're my woman!"

Akio and Haruki hissed, replying, "Back off, ookami!"

Haruki snarled, "She does not belong to you—"

"—she never has," Akio continued. "You must be highly—"

"—delusional, if you believe such a thing," Haruki snapped. His eyes darkened, "We will not allow you—"

"—or anyone to take her from us," Akio finished, a slight hiss echoing afterward.

It was the popping of miko energy that stopped the conversation, their eyes snapping to Kagome as she stood in front of Sesshoumaru. Their eyes narrowed, wondering what was happening, when they watched her stretch her arms out toward him. Each one of them growled when Sesshoumaru stepped forward, gathering the miko into his arms and disappearing from their sight. They snarled, each one of them wondering just where the hell they'd gotten to, since they knew the inu was fast, but not that fast.

Haruki huffed, "Come, brother, we will wait until we're able to try again."

Akio nodded.

Kouga snarled, "I'm not gonna allow you to do that."

"There is nothing you can do, ookami," Haruki hissed. "The miko shall be ours—"

"—plain and simple," Akio added.

Flexing his claws, Kouga grinned, "Well, then I'm just going to have to change your minds, aren't I? Maybe a beating will make you stop thinking about her? What do you think?"

"As if you—"

"—have any hopes of beating us."

"We'll just see about that," Kouga growled. "Tell you what, I win, you leave her alone. You win, I'll back off."

The brothers looked at each other, before nodding. Turning their heads toward the ookami, they echoed, "Agreed."


	20. Acceptance

"That is so immature," she mumbled, staring down at the sight before her. Taking a glance at her companion, she shook her head. "You would think they would understand youkai law and actually leave the girl alone, instead of beating each other into the ground."

"Males are males, Katana," Ivy smiled. "They're possessive and need to constantly be reminded they are the only one in a woman's life, unless you want a jealous male on your tail. She can do no more than we can to stop them from fighting. Yes, the rules do say that you're not supposed to get violent, but I think we can let this go for right now. Neither side is winning, after all."

Katana tilted her head a little to the side, "True. It makes one wonder just how much that ookami actually wants to win, since it is two against one." She paused, sliding her tongue over the front of her fangs, "Though I doubt he shall win. Those kitsunes are giving him some nasty competition."

Nodding, Ivy turned from the window. "Just remember to stop them before they manage to kill someone, or themselves, Katana. It will be easy to kill up the bloodshed, and to heal their wounds, but not revive them from the dead. Besides, I think that Yumi could do with some work. Perhaps with them inside the wing for a few days, the heir can manage to get back the effort that was lost because of those meddlesome kitsunes."

"Makes you wonder why we keep Yumi around."

"Because Yumi knows her place and when to stop," Ivy replied. "No matter how much you complain, Katana, you know that Yumi is the best we have ever had. Besides, she might be a kitsune, but she is your friend, whether you wish to admit it or not."

"Very well, I shall stop them before they kill each other, though I have to wonder why you wish for me to do this. You could easily erase the miko from their memories, could you not?" Katana smirked, watching as her old friend's shoulders stiffened a bit at the question. She knew exactly what Ivy could do, even if she liked some of the alterative methods that involved violence and blood. It made her wonder why she took this job, except to help her friend, when she loved everything that went against the rules. She suspected that her heart was just too big.

"Hai," Ivy frowned, "but that can have terrible consequences. I could accidentally erase something more than simply the miko from them, or I could end up strengthening the feelings they have at the moment because of my wandering thoughts." Her frown lifted a bit, "And besides, Katana, that is also against the rules."

"Ah, hai. We must always follow those rules, no matter how ridiculous they may seem in a situation like this, mustn't we?" the inu asked.

"That is correct, Katana. We are not allowed to merely do, as we want, not when there are the students to consider. Now, I have things that I must attend to, and you must stop those boys before they go to far." Ivy smiled softly, "The spring will come more quickly than anyone will expect it to, and I must prepare for when it does. Oh, and Katana?"

"Hai?"

"Could you check on the miko and heir for me after you've gotten those three to the medical wing? I want to see how they are doing, since I have a feeling that their relationship might go more smoothly from this point on. True, there will be bumps and curves along the road, but that really doesn't matter once the end result has taken affect," Ivy said, turning to look at the inu, who'd gone to leaning against the window with one arm.

"If you're so sure they'll end up loving each other, why do you want me to check on them?" Katana frowned. It was never a good thing when Ivy wanted her to do stuff like that. Eighty percent of the time something terrible happened, or she ended up in a tight spot that she needed to get herself out of. She doubted she'd be put into a spot like that, after all, they were only children, but that didn't mean something terrible couldn't happen, they were both youkai. "Why are you so concerned, unless you know something bad is going to happen?"

"I want to make sure they're going down the right path is all. Can you blame me for wanting to save this school from falling to the ground?"

"That's what's going to happen? If those two aren't brought together, this school is finally going to fall?" Katana narrowed her eyes. She didn't really care for the school, but many people could be hurt because of those pups.

"Hai, another war between the students will break out. I do not wish to erase so many memories at once again, Katana. You remember what happened the last time," Ivy sighed. "Now, please, no more questions for tonight, I feel the need to retire."

"Very well," Katana nodded, "I shall do as you ask, Ivy. Not for you, but for the fact that I do not want to see innocent people hurt."

"Of course," Ivy replied.

Katana was left to herself, standing there in the window, staring down at the boys still continuing to fight. Even with their youkai strength and abilities they were starting to slow down and she suspected that it would be easy to simply knock them out at this moment. Or she could use magic that would make them feel like they were knocked on the head for a couple days, never realizing they'd walked up there themselves. Smirking, she nodded, since that would be perfect, since she really didn't want to carry them anyway.

oOo

"You can put me down now, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, noticing that they were outside the dormitory. She felt weird. Like she'd lost that piece of herself that didn't want to be near Sesshoumaru, and now that piece of her that did was soaring with happiness and singing at the fact that the kitsunes were no longer near her. Along with Kouga, though she wasn't really sure why, he'd only ever tried to get her attention. Akio and Haruki had taken advantage of her and were possibly planning on using her. She could understand why she didn't want to be near them.

Once on her feet, she stared at Sesshoumaru for a moment, and then shook her head in confusion. Strange thoughts were going through her mind at the look in his eyes, but she did not understand them. It was almost like they were in a different language, or something, because she could not understand what they were saying, thinking,  _whatever_. For a moment she thought it was weird that she couldn't understand her own thoughts, but she decided that she didn't care – not when there were other things to care about.

Sesshoumaru watched her eyes flicker to red for a moment, and felt his beast growl in pleasure at the sight. Her eyes had returned to the color he remembered them to be, and he was glad that she was now completely normal, or as normal as the miko could get. She was an oddity that he was sure he'd never be able to understand, especially when she had suddenly changed like that. Went from running away from him because Kagura forced herself upon him, to kissing two kitsune males at the same time, to looking at him strangely. She acted as if nothing had happened, and though he wanted to criticize her on the fact that she had done such a thing, but his tongue felt heavy and he could not bring himself to do so. He wanted to, but his mouth wouldn't open in order to.

His eye twitched a little, for he didn't quite understand the reason behind all of this. He'd seen her kissing those idiots, yes, which should have made him want to rip them to pieces because she was under his care, but why had he wanted to rip them apart because he'd felt they were touching what was his. Not his ward, or pupil or anything, but what belonged to him? It was confusing; he'd never wanted to think of the miko that way, yet he was. He'd never even wanted to let the miko this close to him, yet he had. He'd never wanted any of what was beginning to happen to him, yet it was. He felt confused, and when he was confused, nothing good ever happened from it.

"Um," Kagome turned her head down. "Thank you."

"Hn," he replied.

Her lips twitched, "What no 'you're welcome'?"

"Hn."

Huffing a little, Kagome looked back up toward him, and noticed that he seemed to be staring through her. Redirecting her eyes, she thought she understood. "I'm sorry that I pulled you away from Kagura. I promise not to do it again," she whispered.

He stiffened, "What are you talking about, miko?"

"Well, you were… um…" Kagome blushed, sadness beginning to radiate from her form. She didn't want to admit it, but she'd grown used to having Sesshoumaru around, and it was kind of depressing that she'd have to give him up simply because he liked Kagura. She didn't like Kagura at all, and the part of her that liked Sesshoumaru snarled in anger at the fact that she was accepting them together. "What I mean is, I'm sorry I interrupted your time with her by making you come after me. I shouldn't have freaked out like I did, but I thought that I was intruding on something that I shouldn't have been and well, I didn't think that was right, so I ran. And, I'm really, really sorry that I obviously caught your attention and made you come after me, since you should have been able to stay with her, instead of rushing after me. I—"

Sesshoumaru scowled, removing his hand from her mouth. "You talk to much, miko," he stated.

"Excuse me for caring what you and your girlfriend do," Kagome frowned. She hated the fact that he liked someone that she hated. At this point she wasn't even sure why she hated Kagura, she just knew she did, and it wasn't often that she hated anyone. Just thinking about it almost made her hate Sesshoumaru, too, but she couldn't bring herself to actually hate him. She'd wanted to be his friend since they'd met on the bus, and she could see where it'd got her.

"Miko," Sesshoumaru said, refusing to show that he'd come to respect her, "you will refrain from  _ever_  putting this Sesshoumaru and the wind bitch in the same sentence again."

She blinked in confusion, "What?"

"That bitch does not deserve to be called this Sesshoumaru's in any way," Sesshoumaru continued. "She is not mine, she shall never be mine, and you should not think of her as mine simply because she came onto me when this Sesshoumaru was not paying much attention to my surroundings."

"I thought you were…" she blinked, happiness rushing into her body. She was glad Sesshoumaru was usually blunt now, for he'd flat out said that Kagura wasn't his, she wasn't his girlfriend or going to become his future mate. She wanted to jump up and down clapping her hands in happiness, and a piece of her wanted to launch herself into his arms and kiss his full on the lips. She managed to stop herself from doing both.

"As I said, you think too much, miko. Perhaps you should learn to come upon a situation and stay the entire time, for if you had, you would have seen this Sesshoumaru push the bitch away," Sesshoumaru replied. "It is not my fault you're a beacon for bad luck."

She stiffened, her eyes filling with anger. "You…" she stopped for a moment. "You can't even manage to say one nice thing, can you? You've got to insult me at every turn!" She flung her hands into the air, "I don't see why I bother anymore!"

"Simply because I state a fact has nothing to do with the fact that you took it as an insult," Sesshoumaru scowled.

She waved her fist, claws digging into her flesh. "Argh… I'm… I'm going to bed!"

He smirked, slightly liking the fact that she was so easy to tease. He hadn't noticed it until she'd actually told him, but he did like the fact that whenever he insulted her she came lashing back at him. "It is highly recommended. You do, after all, seem to become quite irritating whenever you have not had the recommended amount of sleep for… whatever you wish to call yourself now that you've begun to grow into your youkai blood, miko," he said.

She huffed. "I hate you," she growled. She knew she didn't, it just felt good to say to his face. Maybe she'd be able to get some type of reaction out of him other than boredom or anger and laugh at him about it later. Or maybe he'd turn it against her.

His smirk widened just a little. "No, I do not believe so, miko. If you hated this Sesshoumaru, you would not have asked me to save you from those idiots who decided you belonged to them. You would not try at every turn to apologize for things that this Sesshoumaru really did not care about, nor would you try to become my friend at every turn. I must admit, you're rather persistent."

"Well, then starting now I'll no longer try to become your friend," she snapped.

"You've tried that once before, miko," Sesshoumaru quickly replied. "It did not turn out so well, if I remember correctly, for not long afterward you apologized to this Sesshoumaru and then began again." He held his tongue after that, noticing that she looked rather attractive when she was fuming in front of him, and his smirk grew just a bit more. Running his eyes over her rather quickly, he took note that her face was turning red, her claws were growing, and she was standing rather stiffly, yet she was still quite lovely looking while she opened and closed her mouth to try and say something in return.

"That was a mistake on my part. Remind me next time I do it so that I can not do it," Kagome replied.

"The point of that?" Sesshoumaru asked. "If you cannot remember it yourself, then there is no reason for this Sesshoumaru to remind you, miko. Perhaps if I really wanted to, but I do not."

She stopped, watching as he blinked at his own words. She smiled, and allowed her clenched fingers to loosen while she brought her hands up in front of her. "You do like me!" she said. "You like the fact that I want to be your friend!"

"Do not read to much into it, miko," Sesshoumaru said, turning his face away.

She smiled brighter, "You can't take back what you've already said, Sesshoumaru. Tell you what, you admit that you like the fact that I want to be your friend more than simply because of what or who you are, and I'll answer any question truthfully in return once you figure out what you want to ask. Deal?"

"Why would this Sesshoumaru make a deal with you?"

"Deal?" she repeated.

"Hm," Sesshoumaru scowled. "Deal."

"So you admit it!" Kagome cheered.

"Very well, miko. But you're becoming rather annoying at this point and time," Sesshoumaru frowned.

She frowned as well, "It's a yes or no question."

"I'm going to bed," Sesshoumaru said.

She stood there as he brushed past her, and then whirled around. "Sesshoumaru!" she cried, "Come back here and say it!" However, she stopped when she realized he wasn't there. She'd never quite noticed that he was rather fast, much faster than she'd ever thought he was. Sighing, she told herself that she would get her yes or no answer. He'd said 'very well', but that wasn't good enough for her, especially when he'd stepped around the answer he should have given and pushed her into the corner of answering any truthfully once he asked it. She was sure that he'd be crafty and never ask a question until he really wanted to know something, but she was determined to get her answer before then.

Turning her face down, Kagome smiled softly. She was happy to know that he didn't like Kagura, because that meant that she didn't have to worry about him even being with her. She may not have understood it, but she accepted the fact that a part of her wanted to be with Sesshoumaru, wanted to be the one that stood by his side forever and always. She may not think that he would want that, but she accepted that she did. She wasn't sure if she loved him, and if she did, why, but she was sure that she could in time. If he stopped being an ass and opened up, that was.

oOo

"What the hell…?" he mumbled, blinking his eyes against the strange surroundings he found himself in. Leaning forward, he saw that the kitsune twins were sitting across from him, neither one looking like they'd gotten into a fight, and then looked down at himself. He looked better than he felt that was for sure.

"Oh, you're awake!" came a feminine voice. "I'm so glad. I was beginning to think that Katana may have done something terrible to you three to make you look so torn up when you came in here."

Turning his head toward another kitsune, one who was slightly leaning over him, Kouga growled. "Who are you? Where's my woman?"

Yumi frowned. "You're talking about Kagome, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Kouga said. "What of it?"

"I've already spoken with the two troublemakers, I believe it's time to get it into your head that just because you want something doesn't mean you're going to get it," Yumi said.

"Huh?"

"I am Yumi," she continued. "I am here to help those who are in need of medical attention, whether it is simply a cold or something worse, but I cannot stand by and allow this to continue to eat away at your brain. I will never understand, which is probably a good thing, why you ookami always seem to think that as soon as you claim something it is yours. Perhaps that worked hundreds of years ago when your kind would forcefully take a mate, but it does not work anymore. You must allow Kagome to decide whether she wishes to become 'your woman' or not. You can't simply say she is because you think so."

"But she's—"

"Not for you," Yumi said, her voice becoming dark. "Spring is coming near, and when it does you will find out that there is another for you. You may not accept it until then, but Kagome is not meant for you. I cannot tell you more, so do not ask, but remember that your future is being decided and Kagome is not in it. So, ookami, stand down before you get yourself hurt."

Kouga growled. "Oh? And who the hell is in Kagome's life?"

"The one that she allows to be," Yumi replied. "And right now, I believe that would be the young inuyoukai that she allowed to stay here during her overload. I know you may not know what that is, but lets just say that she became quite sick and he stayed here with her. He is also the one that is close to her at the moment, closer than you, yourself, will become within the next month or two. He is the one who will most likely capture her heart, and you will not interfere."

"What if—"

Yumi placed her hand onto his forehead, watching as he suddenly leaned forward, blanking out. His eyes took on a look of nothingness, and her hand glowed as she pumped the magic into his system. Feeling that it was enough, she pulled her hand away, and smiled. "Are you feeling better?" she asked.

He blinked, "Where am I?"

"Don't you remember? You got into a rather nasty fight," Yumi scowled. "Fighting is not allowed, but I believe we might be able to make an acception with the fact that neither side was seriously hurt."

Kouga blinked, "Why would I do that? I've only been going to classes and doing my work. I don't see why I would get into a fight with anyone when I've got nothing to fight over."

Yumi shrugged. "I don't know. I think you may have forgotten a few things from being knocked around so hard, though. You should rest, and I'll make sure that your assignments are brought up for you to do, alright?"

Kouga nodded, feeling that there  _was_  something he'd forgotten. "Thanks," he mumbled. Settling himself down, he narrowed his eyes, and then shook his head. He remembered liking a girl named Kagome, but he'd gotten over that, or he thought he had. But why had he gotten into a fight, when he had nothing to fight over? It just didn't seem like him. Falling into a sleep, he didn't notice the two kitsune across the room sit up.

"It seems she has erased most of his like for Kagome," Haruki said.

"Yes, it would seem so," Akio sighed. "But we promised."

"Kitsune promised," Haruki added.

"And we are not to interfere unless she tells the inu that she does not want him," Akio growled. His eyes flashed, "Perhaps, dear brother, we could—"

Yumi stepped into the room, "Don't even think about it, you two. If I hear one word about you two causing more trouble, I will erase your memories as well."

Haruki narrowed his eyes, "It is not like you haven't in the past, Yumi."

Akio nodded.

Yumi frowned. "You're my brothers. I could not allow you to remember those things, for they would have changed who you have become today. However, I will erase enough of your memory and alter the rest like I did the ookami's in order to make sure you don't go after Kagome any longer. Do you understand?"

They nodded, "Yes."

Akio looked up, "But if she decides that she no longer wishes to be with him, then I will not stand down, dear sister."

"And neither shall I," Haruki said.

Yumi frowned deeper. "It will be a shame when you two start fighting over each other for her should she decide against what Ivy has already seen. I want you two to be happy, so suck it up and leave them alone. If something should happen between them to cause them to hate each other, you'll probably be the first to know."

"Why is that?" Haruki asked.

"You remember the fact that she allowed you two so close to her last night, don't you?" Yumi asked. Seeing them nod, she continued. "When she changed, she had the presence of both a kitsune and an inu around her. The kitsune responded to you, but the inu does not like you. Therefore, should the inu die, the kitsune will come forth and return to you. But, as I said, I will not help you in that and you will not interfere between them." Sighing, she added, "Please don't make me hurt you, brothers."

They scowled. "Very well."

oOo

She knelt down. "Kagura, you must return soon. You cannot stay here forever."

"Go away, Kanna," Kagura sighed. "I do not wish to go."

"You must, life continues on without you," Kanna replied lifelessly.

"Good," Kagura scowled. "I do not wish to go on knowing that he chose that miko bitch over me."

Kanna remained silent, staring into her eyes. She remembered the feelings that went through her at the moment that Kagura had nearly gotten what she wanted, and she wanted her to go after some other male in order to make her feel that way once more. Kanna tilted her head, but life went on without Kagura while she simply sat there. Kanna wanted what she wanted, and her mind was quite clear, and she wanted Kagura to do as she had in the past and simply give up on the inu male and go after another.

"Go away," Kagura whimpered. "Just go away."

Kanna blinked, remaining where she was.

"Go away," Kagura said again.

Kanna did not, for she remembered something that she enjoyed and wanted. Before the time that they came to this school. When she was little she'd follow her father around like a puppy dog, but now she was no longer that child. She enjoyed it, she wanted to know it again, and Kagura would do it. Lifting her hand, Kanna grabbed the mirror on her belt and then removed it from her side, then she turned it so that Kagura was staring into it, and heard her gasp.

"Kanna! Ngh…"

Yes, Kagura would do whatever she commanded her to do. For when she was little, her father had taught her many things, and she was using them to the best of her abilities. Yes, Kagura would give her what she wanted, but it would not be with the male that she'd foolishly allowed close to her heart.

oOo

"Something is different between them," Sango whispered, watching as Miroku nodded.

"Yes, they do seem to be quite close to one another, don't they," Miroku smiled.

Sango stiffened, "Miroku."

"Yes, Sango?" he asked innocently.

"How dare you think Kagome would do such a thing!" she hissed, jumping on him.

Miroku smiled brighter, "Oh, Sango, my love, I love it whenever you do that!" He watched as she blushed atop him, and kissed her softly. She scrambled off him quickly and sat between Shippo and Bankotsu, mumbling something about perverted men and how she wanted to be as far away from them as possible.

"She smells like him, too," Shippo said.

"They do look pretty chummy, don't they?" Bankotsu asked. "Not that they aren't usually, but Sesshoumaru's not growling at her and she's not glaring at him. They seem to be acting like they suddenly become friends."

Sesshoumaru looked at them from the corner of his eye, and listened as Kagome continued to try and make him admit that he wanted her as his friend. He accepted the fact that he thought she was his, but he wasn't going to tell her that. The idiots that she called her friends were simply not observant enough to tell what he was doing. It was something that only another inuyoukai would be able to tell, for he had made sure to keep close to her to cover his with his scent, and he had made sure not to once insult her for that day. He was hard to do, since he'd become so used to doing so, but he'd done it out of a sign of respect. She might not have realized it, but he was doing things that came natural to courting, even if it was so subtle that he barely noticed he'd actually done it until after he'd done it. Still, it was hard to accept completely, with the fact that she was a strange person, and it was strange that he'd begin to want such strange person. He could just bet that his father would laugh his ass off if he saw him in this position.


	21. Sango's Mission

Almost gently the fingers brushed against the skin of the sleeping girl. Almost, for within a moment the person stopped, and then swept the small thin line of blood onto the tips of their fingers and gently rubbed them together. The wounds on her cheek healed almost instantly, the thin lines sealing, leaving only a few precious drops of her blood along them. Then, with the same gentleness, the person brought their hand up to their mouth and licked the blood from their fingers, savoring the taste for a small moment.

The girl turned, her shoulder brushing against his other hand as she turned onto her side. The person continued to watch, silently taking it all in, but raging on the inside. It was not fair. Simply not fair at all, but they knew they needed to accept it. The girl simply did not want them, no matter what they did in order to try and make her see that they were the best for her. No, for she was stubborn, and seemed to like to tease them whenever she was able. That made their heart pound even more, their rage becoming greater as they tried to control the urge to leave the girl's side and kill the male she favored.

A sigh escaped the person, before they turned their head slightly in order to listen. The sound of footsteps was easily heard, and the person backed away so that their form was hidden mostly in shadows. The footsteps stopped outside the door, and it opened a small moment, before another female entered. They watched silently, as the girl looked around in the dark, shook her head, and returned to the unoccupied bed. A small sniff of the air told the person that the girl had been with a male, most likely ningen from the smell, but that did not matter. Once the girl settled, the person continued to wait, breathing very gently so not to disturb her as she tossed a few times and then settled once more.

Once the girl succumbed to the darkness of sleep, her beating heart slowing to a steady beat, the person returned to the bedside of the girl they'd taken an interest to. They knew that they would most likely be laughed at. Why would she like them? It was simply not something that others would have believed, but it was something that they wanted to believe. Dearly, with all their heart, though they knew deeper that it was not to be. Not when she continued to hang around that naïve male – nearly hanging on him so completely that soon they were sure they'd find them both rutting some place.

"Why don't you understand?" they whispered lightly, their male voice obvious to the darkness. "Why can't you understand what I feel?"

Even if the girl had heard his words, she did nothing that would have made him suspect that she had. Her heartbeat was still steady, strong, signaling to him that she was still deep in her dreams. He almost wished that she had heard him; that she'd open her eyes and gaze upon him with the emotion that he wanted her to direct at him. But that was not to be, as she continued to sleep throughout the night. Besides, he knew that if she did open her eyes to see him, though he doubted her eyes would adjust enough to actually do, that she'd probably scream. Her scream would echo throughout the entire dormitory and then he'd be caught in the act when the supervisor came to check on the girls'.

Sighing again, his ears picked up the sound of the creaking beds and the light breathing of the fourteen girls' within that particular sleeping quarter. Satisfied that none of them were going to wake and be frightened by his dark figure in the darkness, he completely settled his eyes onto the girl he'd been captivated with. The girl that continued to either snap at him, or tease his instincts by appeasing that stupid male. His hand clenched thinking about it, blood beginning to pool into the palm of his hand as his claws pierced his skin. The sound of the drops hitting the floor echoed into his ears, though he doubted the girls' would be able to hear it, it was so small – not even the youkai girls' should hear it with how deeply they slept.

Stepping backwards, his eyes casting a small glance at the small drops of blood beside the bed, he shook his head. He needed to leave, for though he did not need much sleep each night, he did need some type of sleep this once for the week. He'd been coming each night, using his superior youkai body in order to keep himself at top form during the day. Normally he would sleep much more, since it was not required of him to stay alert for attacks like youkai would during the feudal era, but he knew that it did not take much for him to suddenly revert between the two lifestyles. His instincts easily took it in and his body easily adapted to the change, allowing him to see her in the way that he wished her to look whenever she was with him.

Turning from her, he sent a small glance over his shoulder, once again wishing deeply that she'd awaken and be in love with him. That she'd accept him with her entire being, instead of treating him like he was nothing. The days that his kind had been cast out had ended, though many still treated them in a similar way, and he'd thought that she'd be able to look past his differences and love him. If it was not to be, he was not sure if he'd be able to let her go, but he'd try. He'd try.

Walking toward the door, he opened it just a crack, allowing a small stream of light to enter the place. Once again he looked over his shoulder at her, noticing that she'd turned the opposite direction. Smiling a bit, he sighed again. He'd like to think that she'd accepted his presence during her sleep and that was the reason she'd slept so soundly without her opposing energy lashing out at him, but he didn't want to allow himself to cling to that. It was one thing for her to accept his presence during her sleep; it was another for her to accept it when she actually realized he was there in more than just her subconscious.

His smile dipped more into a frown, and he blinked while watching her. "Why?" he asked again. "Why can't you look past the fact that I am hanyou? That I carry some type of youkai blood in my veins, why?" His frown darkened, "If it was not for that stupid rule, I'd rip that bastard's heart out for you, only for you, but I can't. I can't. What else can I do? What can I possibly do to prove to you that I want you, you stupid girl?"

Shaking his head, he stepped outside the door and shut it behind him. He easily moved into the shadows, his clawed hands sinking into his pockets as his ears flattened against his head. "Sweet dreams, Kikyo."

oOo

"Sango, I don't think you should look too much into it," Miroku sighed. "It is probably nothing more than Sesshoumaru taking his duty more seriously. You've noticed the way that Kagura hasn't approached them today, and the fact that Kouga or the twins haven't been seen. Sesshoumaru has probably just shown them that he was her guardian of sorts and there's nothing they can do to keep them apart."

"I don't like that look," Sango scowled. "Something tells me that he's going more than just protecting her."

"I agree," Shippo muttered. "Something just isn't right in that picture."

Kirara sighed, "We should just leave them alone." She looked down at the notebook in her lap, wondering why Kagome had given it back to her so soon. The dog-eared page told her that she was not done with it, that she'd barely even started yet she'd returned it early that morning. Something about needing time to concentrate, and the wonderful story just continued to distract her at the worse times. Still, as she gently touch the cover, she had a feeling there was another reason Kagome had given it back, other than her to put the new pages she'd wrote inside or her concentration problems.

"Well," Bankotsu said, "I agree with Kirara. Whatever's happening will come out of the closest sooner or later. It's not our job to go looking for the answers that are hidden in the background."

Sango scowled, "This has been going on for a week. They do the same thing!" She muttered something to herself, and then turned her eyes back up to the others. "There is something going on here, and I have a feeling I know what it is. If I'm right, which my instincts usually are, then I have to warn Kagome before this progresses any further."

Leaning backwards, Bankotsu clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Count me out, I'm not getting into youkai politics or anything like that." His lips tilted upward, "But I did see this awesome babe a couple days ago, I wonder if I'll be able to find her again."

"Awesome, you say?" Miroku asked. "Sounds like a plan, Bankotsu! I'll make sure to accompany you on your quest to find this lovely—"

"Oh no you won't, Miroku," Sango hissed. She turned her head. "Shippo, make sure that Miroku stays out of trouble."

"Huh?" Shippo blinked. "Why me? I don't want to go anywhere near the places that pervert might drag me."

Sango rolled her eyes.

"Besides," Shippo smirked, "what do you say whenever you request something of so much importance from another?" His sly tone caused a few nearby girls' to swoon, and he smirked, his chest pushing outward a bit in response. His ego had been getting a good stroke since he'd entered this school.

Sango's eyebrow twitched a bit. "Just do it, Shippo."

"Not until you say pl—" He rubbed his head, his hands trying to decrease the soreness that suddenly appeared there. Glaring up at the woman, he snapped his fangs, trying to ignore the pain that throbbed in his head without crying. That was not something that would help his image.

"Do it," Sango growled, watching as the fire kitsune nodded after a moment. "You got that, Miroku? You're going to be tailed, and if I hear that you've been grabbing girl's butts, or trying to sneak into the girl's bathroom, I'm going to hit you so hard you won't know male from female."

"Oh, Sango, you wound me so," Miroku said, bringing his hand up to his heart. "I would not try to do such unholy things."

"Try proving that when there's so much evidence stacked against you," Bankotsu said, smirking. "Perverted  _monk_ ," he mocked, remembering the young man once saying he had the saintliness of one.

"You people are so cruel," Miroku moaned, bowing his head.

"Alright," Sango said. "Kirara, you make sure to warn me if Kagome  _or_ , more importantly, Sesshoumaru comes anywhere near where I am. I don't want to be interrupted by him, since I'm sure he'd want to keep me from finding out anything on what's happening."

"U-um," Kirara smiled. "You do-do realize he can probably hear what you're saying, right?"

Sango blinked, and turned to see that Sesshoumaru was beginning to rise from his seat, reaching out to grab Kagome by the arm. Growling at the small sound of pain Kagome gave, Sango turned back to the youkai who'd mentioned it. "Doesn't matter what he's heard so far, he doesn't know where I'll be."

"He'll probably be able to sniff you out," Bankotsu mentioned.

"Even so," Sango said. "He has to watch over Kagome, and since today we don't have any classes, I should be able to hide from him pretty well. After all, my ancestors hunted youkai, and I'm positive that I'll be able to hide in the shadows as they did in order to capture the more threatening of foes." She smirked, "Avoiding him should he decide to find me should be a little easier with how big this place is."

"What if you get lost?" Kirara asked.

"That's where you come in, Kirara. Since you're going to be tailing me in order to warn me should they be coming! With your nose, we should be able to find something familiar." Sango nodded to herself, not seeing the fidgeting of the youkai she'd addressed.

"Oh," Kirara smiled weakly. "O-ok."

"Good!" Sango cheered. "Now that that's settled, let's get going! I want to finish this mission before the day is over."

oOo

Her eyes looked up, lifeless.

Her claws stretched outward, the tips curling inward as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Only a small piece of her remained, somehow, and it was not a piece of her that could defeat her sister's control over her body. So, her feet moved her forward, her eyes casting themselves left and right, searching for what she'd been told to search for. Something that she'd be able to find without a doubt, but the piece of her that remained was disgusted with most of the play things her sister wanted her to use as her eyes went over them, making her movement continue forward.

The coloring of her eyes was dull, lifeless.

Her sister's voice echoed throughout her head, though to her it almost seemed like it was her own desires. The desires that she wanted, needed, yearned to quench again and again. Things that set her blood on fire, a familiar scent wafting up into her nose, most likely into her sister's as well, and she wondered if that was what her sister wanted. If she wanted that smell, or something more? She would find out, she was sure, though the small piece of her was not sure if she would like it or not.

Small black slits formed in her eyes, allowing her sister to look through them as well. She could feel it happening, though it was very subtle, under the surface of everything else she was currently feeling. The stickiness she felt between her legs was annoying almost, a yearn deeper within her wanting something to sooth that moisture forming there. Wanted something to try it out, though she was not positive in what way – though she was positive that was truly one of her desires, not her sister's.

That small piece of her swelled in response to her body's increasing temperature. She barely noticed that many youkai males were beginning to raise eyebrows at her or follow in footsteps, sniffing at her gently. None of them were what she wanted, for she needed something a little more. Something with a little more class then them, something that held rank. Something that would be able to help her escape her mother, for she still held that desire deep in her mind, her sister's control unable to dislodge it.

Kanna's commands echoed throughout her mind once more. Find a male, seduce him, love him, and finally sooth the ache that she felt by sleeping with him. She did not quite understand how she was supposed to love a male instantly while seducing him, to really love them, but the control over her caused her to want to. To get away from her mother by doing it, though in truth she knew somewhere that that might not happen, even if she ended up mated.

Still, none of the current males' surrounding her - sniffing at her flesh as she sent out her signal - were catching her eye. She knew that at any moment her sister's command could change, to suddenly lunge at any male, but she doubted they would. Somewhere she did, though the control tightened onto her more, her souless body willingly moving to the command of her current master. Willingly playing to the tune that her master sent out, the tune that her sister used in order to keep her soul within her mirror, the small piece of her knew.

Moving forward, her eyes once again looking at the males' around her, she felt herself sigh for some odd reason. It was most likely Kanna's reaction to her resistance to take any of these males'; no matter how fine they were in body. They needed rank, not simply body, so that she could escape the life she currently had. She needed rank – rank was all that was important to the small piece of her that still remained, which was why she held fast against her sister's want for her to simply take a male into her bed.

"Hey, watch where you're going, will ya," she turned her eyes upward, the lifeless look within them brightening just a bit. The male that she'd bumped into, she knew him, she knew somewhere that she did, and something told her that he had something she wanted.

Her lips tilted as he began to sniff the air, as her dulled voice asked, "Who are you?"

He eyed her, but said, "Kouga. Prince of the Eastern Mountain Wolf Tribe."

She smiled, "I am Kagura."

oOo

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Stop asking the same question over and over, miko," he replied. "It is annoying."

Kagome stiffened. "I just wanted to know." She turned her nose up. "Besides, sooner or later you're going to have to tell me you want me as your friend. Otherwise our deal isn't valid."

"You're wrong, miko." Sesshoumaru turned his attention more toward her, his eyes catching her own. "The deal is valid as long as this Sesshoumaru eventually holds up his end of the bargain before he asks you his question. And remember, the question can be anything,  _anything_  at all."

"I know what I meant," she snapped. She almost wished she hadn't made that deal, or maybe told him that there were rules when it came to that question. Who knew what he would ask her when he felt like finally taking it from her. It would be anything, and she wasn't exactly sure what anything was in his head, so she wasn't counting on it being anything good. She smirked, however, "But if you ask one before…"

"Then it has nothing to do with the deal we made, for this Sesshoumaru has yet to hold up his end," Sesshoumaru growled, knowing she was trying to get around something. "Until this Sesshoumaru does, any question asked may be ignored on your part. Be warned, though, miko, for this Sesshoumaru has ways of finding out the information should you choose to ignore me. I will even know if you're lying, which will do against you when it comes to anything."

"I wouldn't lie!" Kagome said. "But I might ignore you."

"Like you are now?" he mocked.

She scowled. "Well, if you weren't standing so close to me I wouldn't be trying to make conversation with you. Why are you doing that, anyway?" She pulled her hand back a bit, noticing that hers had been touching his own. She didn't understand why he continued to do some of the things he'd done over the last week, and it was grating on her curiosity to find out why he'd done them.

"Hn," he replied.

"So, you're not going to answer my question. Fine, be that way," Kagome muttered. "Not like I cared for the answer, anyway."

"Stop lying to yourself, miko."

"Stop being an ass, ass," Kagome returned. Seeing him cast her a sour look, she rolled her eyes. "Where are we going, Sesshoumaru? I'd like to know, since we've been walking for quite some time now."

"You will find out when we get there," Sesshoumaru said.

"That was helpful," Kagome sighed.

Sesshoumaru cast another look at her, before turning his attention back to direction he was walking. He wished to know more about what her friend, the one he believed was named Sango, was trying to find out. The others were right to stay out of it, courting, even if he wasn't doing it so openly, was between the one being courted and the one trying to woo them. Yes, if there were more suitors, those who tried to take his miko from him, then they would be able to meddle in the time he had with her, but there were no other suitors. None, at least, willing to try and go against him. Therefore, the ningen woman should keep her nose in her own business and act as if nothing was different.

Still, he wondered if she would be intelligent enough to actually find the answer to what he was doing. And he wondered what she had originally thought he was doing. Yes, he may wish to get close to her in order to kill her, but the things he did leaned more toward the miko accepting his advances then him sneaking around in order to come up with a way to betray her. He would not do that, not now when he wanted her. She was his. She would remain thus until he no longer wanted her, though he would not mate her. In the time that they were together, though, others would know that she belonged to him, that they were not to come between them, as the ningen would most likely do. She did not seem like the type to fully accept the fact that her friend was within the courtship of a youkai.

Kagome sighed again, her nose twitching. Sesshoumaru had been teaching her how to concentrate on one smell at a time, and it had been going well until she found herself trying to read as she did so. Giving the notebook back to Kirara before she'd really gotten into the story was the hardest thing she'd had to do. She'd have to make sure that she got a copy if Kirara published it. And for Kirara to sign it, since she was sure that her friend would do it for her. After all, Kirara had talent, and she was sure that if she tried hard enough, she'd be able to make it in the writing world with ease.

Sniffing again, she turned her head. "Hey, Sango's close by!"

"This Sesshoumaru is aware," he said.

"Oh?" she blinked. "Is that where we're going? Are we going to go see Sango for some reason? I'm not sure if she'd mind, but I don't think she likes you very much. Not that I can blame her, you're not exactly someone that another could like very easily."

"And you're the  _perfect_  example, aren't you, miko?" Sesshoumaru smirked.

"That's different," Kagome growled, her face turning red.

"How so?" Sesshoumaru asked, watching her blush spread a little more. It was easy to make her do so; he'd found, and found it amusing when the color washed over her cheeks and into her shirt.

"I actually want to be your friend because I want to," Kagome replied. "Others probably just want your money and stuff."

"Stuff, miko?" he asked, deciding to play dumb for a moment. "And what  _stuff_  would you be speaking of? I'm sure there is a lot, but if this Sesshoumaru has the right track of mind, I'd say yours is beginning to go into the gutter."

Her blush increased. " _You're_  such a pervert!"

"You're the one who thought it, miko. Not this Sesshoumaru," Sesshoumaru replied. "After all, this Sesshoumaru was not thinking along those particular lines until you mentioned it."

" _ **Agh**_."

oOo

"Ah, Sango…"

"Yeah?"

"He's coming."

"What!" Sango said, jumping suddenly. Her eyes looked up from the book in her hands, and she nearly dropped it in surprise. All this time and finally that inu showed his face. She'd thought that if he wanted to stop her from finding her answer that he would have left Kagome and came in search of her. But he'd waited for at least two hours before he'd come to find her, or maybe he simply wanted to find out something in a book, or do his homework that was due on Monday. There were so may possibilities, but she didn't want to cross out anything.

"Kagome's with him," Kirara added. "They should be here in five… four…"

"Don't count, Kirara! Help me move this stuff!" Sango nearly yelled, grabbing at three books. She rushed into the bookshelves, hearing the doors to the library open. Kirara was right behind her, four books in her arms, her eyes wide as she followed her. Sango didn't think too much on it, though, feeling like a hunter in some forest so long ago, trying to make sure her prey did not find her so easily.

"W-where are we going?" Kirara asked, her eyes widening with each passing second.

"Far away," Sango replied. "Far, far away."

"There's not that much room in this library," Kirara said. "There isn't another exit, either."

"I know, I know," Sango said.

"M-maybe he's just came to get something," Kirara said.

"Maybe not," Sango said, slowing to a walk. However, she pulled open a book, keeping the other two in her arms as she began to read. "Hopefully I'll find my answer before that inu finds us."

"His sense of smell has to be really good, Sango," Kirara said. "He'll find us without a problem if he wants to. And… Kagome told me that he moves very quickly."

"How quickly?" Sango asked.

"Faster than the eye could see," Kirara mumbled, knowing that Sango would hear her. "Really… really fast."

"Shi—" Sango's eyes widened when she read the line she'd found again.

"Sango!"

Sango's eyes turned upward, finding that Sesshoumaru was standing in front of them, Kagome sitting in his arms comfortably. Gazing at them a little closer, she noticed the way his claws were wrapped gently around her, stopping her from being injured, and also keeping her from being jarred should he stop. However, Kagome, unaware of what Sango had just read, pushed herself out of Sesshoumaru's arms and stomped in front of her.

"You shouldn't cuss, Sango," Kagome said, shaking her finger. "What would your mother say?"

"Have you found something interesting, ningen?" Sesshoumaru asked, plucking the book from her hand. Sango reached for it, but Sesshoumaru managed to keep it out of reach, his eyes scanning over the page that she'd flipped to. Finding nothing that would give his current actions away, he allowed it to fall back into her hands.

Sango sighed, glad that she'd managed to turn the page without him noticing. She turned her attention to her scowling friend, and smiled. "She'd probably give me a few threats on not saying them in front of her, before whispering in my ear that it's alright as long as she's not in earshot."

Kagome blinked. "No she wouldn't."

"Obviously you haven't seen the dark side of my mother, Kagome," Sango said.

Kirara smiled nervously, "I-I'm going to return these books to their rightful spots."

"What are you doing anyway, Sango?" Kagome asked. "I never took you as the type to sit in a library unless you had a huge test, or followed Miroku inside, who followed some pretty girl there."

"I was… just reading," Sango replied. "A few things on the past, you know. Interesting stuff, actually."

Kagome eyed her a little, and then frowned. "If you say so, Sango."

"What? You didn't know I liked history…"

"You're lying," Sesshoumaru commented.

"Why would you lie, Sango?" Kagome asked, a little hurt.

Sango's eyes widened, cursing the inuyoukai for giving away that little fact. She cursed again when she noticed that Kagome was gazing at her with the look of disappointed she'd perfected. It was so much worse than her mother's. "I was reading, Kagome. I was just reading on the habits of…" she leaned a little closer, hoping the inu would stay out of it, "youkai."

"Why?" Kagome asked.

Sango's eyes brightened. Just one more step and she'd have completely her mission. Just one. She only needed to tell Kagome what was going on, hopefully making her see what was happening around her, the consequences and benefits, and then all would be well. "You see—"

" _Miko_."

Kagome turned away from her friend to the male behind her. "Yeah?"

"Come, the sun will set soon, and the grounds will be clear. It is time for you to begin working on your attacks again." Sesshoumaru turned, knowing that the miko would follow him. She'd done so many times before within the last week when he'd become irritated with her  _friends_. He was positive that his miko would do so now, and the ningen could wait to tell her whatever it was that she knew. However, he smirked, she would have a hard time getting the miko alone.

"Um… alright," Kagome said. "I'll see you later, Sango."

Sango's jaw dropped as Kagome and Sesshoumaru disappeared behind a bookcase. She twitched visibly, gritting her teeth together as she thought about it. Then, she turned her eyes toward the youkai standing beside her a few moments later.

"So?" Kirara asked.

"I failed, Kirara," Sango whimpered. "I failed to tell Kagome that… that…"

Kirara leaned forward a little more.

"Sesshoumaru, he's…" Sango's eyes shut. "He's courting her."

Kirara's eyes widened a little, everything clicking into place in her head. "You didn't fail, Sango," she said, "you completed your," she made little air quotes, "mission." She stopped for a moment, biting her lip as she tried to comfort the ningen. "Now that you know, and I know, we can find a way to separate Sesshoumaru and Kagome for a while and tell her that. Then… she'll know what could happen."

"But… what if I never," Sango gulped, "never find a way to tell her that he  _is_  courting her?"

Kirara shook her head. "I don't know, I'm sorry."


	22. A Simple Acknowledgement

"Like this?" she asked.

"Hai," he replied, nodding as the acid inside her claws formed together into a whip. She had learned to do it quite quickly, and without him needing to make her angry. It slashed through the trees without mercy, further damaging the field they had been given within the training grounds. Though it caused such a high amount of damage, her accuracy and limit increasing with each use, it was pleasing to see that she was finally beginning to listen to his instructions. Finally she was beginning to listen to  _him_ , and that pleased not only him, but also his beast, prowling just underneath the surface.

She smiled, "It's not that hard once you get the hang of it."

He rolled his eyes, sighing a bit. He simply did not understand that he could want this miko wench to be his own. Her idiocy showed through many of the things she did, even though her original power and her control made him respect her. Now that he thought about it, she would most likely bear strong pups, but he still did not know whether he truly wished to keep her. Those annoying kitsune had backed off, pleasing him, but the threat that they posed truly made him continue to court the miko. "Must you make this seem like a child's game, miko?" he asked.

Kagome's smile dipped down into a frown, the whip dissipating with a small flick of her wrist. "Do you have to constantly compare me to a child?" she replied with a small hiss.

She was seriously beginning to wonder if he'd sense her if she tried to slice his throat open in the night. Sure, she wanted to be his friend, she was positive that she was getting closer to truly being considered one, but she didn't like the fact that he still continued to insult her subtly. Was it really that bad if she decided to see things in a different light than he did? It was true that her new abilities her deadly and could end with her seriously hurting someone, but if she wanted to think it wasn't all that hard, then she should be able to think that without him putting in his two cents.

However, even with that thought she knew that she'd probably end up being the one dead before she managed to kill him. So, there really was no point in  _trying_  to slit his throat in the night. Unless, of course, she wanted to find herself on the end of his claws, but she didn't entertain that thought for very long – it caused a small shudder to go down her spin, knowing just how quickly he could kill her. She had only found out about the youkai blood inside of her within the last year, he'd had his abilities and had honed his skills since he was young. Kagome twitched at the thought, and decided that she would only  _think_  about ridding the planet of his presence, instead of actually trying.

"If you continue to act like a child," he said, "then I shall treat you as one, miko."

"I'm not acting like a child," she growled. "You said that I was trying to make this seem like a child's  _game_ , that's not acting like a child."

"Though that may be true, this Sesshoumaru shall still treat you as a child if you continue to act like one," he smirked. "And, there will be many more times for this Sesshoumaru to be able to, I am sure."

"I hate you," she muttered.

"We both know your words are false, miko. There is no need for you to try to make them seem true when they never shall become so," Sesshoumaru replied. "After all, you're not capable of hating one such as I."

"Want to bet?" Kagome asked. She wondered at her sanity for a moment, since she was positive that he was toying with her just to get a response out of her. However, if she stopped talking, he would believe that he'd won the argument, and she wasn't about to let that happen. She would fight him to the end, and – though she'd only admit it to herself – she kind of liked arguing with him, since it meant that he was talking to her.

"You seem very determined to lose."

"You  _seem_  very determined to piss me off," Kagome snapped back. Turning her blazing eyes toward him, she hissed, "Why don't you shut up so that I can continue to practice? We go through this almost every time that we try to practice and then I only get half the time that I should be getting."

"Then perhaps you should learn to multitask," Sesshoumaru said a slight chuckle behind his words. The miko gave a small huff and flicked her fingers out to the right, which caused a long whip to form from the tips of her fingers, slicing into the ground. Then, slowly, she raised her arm and swung it in front of her, allowing the whip to once again cause devastation upon the land they stood on. The beast inside of him twisted and turned at the sight, delighted in the fact that she could cause so much damage – it was even more delighted by the fact that it made her even more dangerous.

 _I can multitask just fine when you aren't around_ , she thought, giving a small sigh. However, she shook the thought away, not wanting to allow the blush that was threatening to darken on her cheeks to form. It was one thing to admit to herself that he seemed to make everything else disappear; almost like his presence made her forget everything that she'd ever learned. It was another, however, to allow him to know that he caused such things to happen to her. Or for him to see that he had embarrassed her, since it would probably only give him another reason to poke fun at her, or insult her.

Shutting her eyes, she gave another sigh. Her head felt like it was going to burst with the headache that was beginning to form, which wasn't a good thing, since she normally lost a little control over her miko abilities whenever she got one. She hated the fact that she allowed him to sink so deeply underneath her skin, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell him how she was beginning to feel. Sure, she wanted to be his friend, but she could completely destroy that by telling him that she liked being around him; if she told him she had been jealous when Kagura came onto him. She could ruin everything and then he wouldn't want her to come near him ever again, and she wasn't sure how her heart would handle that.

The possessive side of her slammed against her thoughts at that moment, a loud " _mine_ " echoing into her head. She knew it was the beast she'd acquired, but she also knew that she couldn't allow it to control her. She wanted to be Sesshoumaru's friend, she did not wish to ruin that, but in the same moment she wanted to destroy any female that tried to get near him. It confused her, since she knew she had to pick one sooner or later, but the roar that echoed into her ears made her question her original thought. Just as when he'd slapped her, only to lick the wounds from her face later, the beast showed its possessive nature. However, the loud thought caused her to flinch, her headache pounding a little harder.

A loud creak filled her ears, and she opened her eyes once more and quickly lifted her head to the left. Kagome's eyes widened when she realized that her whip had moved over toward her left and sliced through the trunk of a very large tree. A tree, which was now toppling toward her. Her mouth opened and her brain screamed at her to move, her beast roared at her almost as much as her brain did, but her feet remained planted on the ground. Then a soft purring entered her mind as an arm wrapped around her waist and she was yanked away from the tree falling toward the spot she'd recently occupied. The sound of it hitting the ground caused her to bury her face into her savior's chest, and she breathed in his scent to calm herself.

Sesshoumaru landed a short distance away, before noticing that the miko had buried her face into his chest. His beast purred, the animal mostly quiet now that he was beginning to see what it did. However, he quickly removed her from his front and scowled down at her when she turned her head upward to gaze at him. "Why did you not move, miko?" he growled.

Her heart was still pounding, but she blinked and shook her head. She wasn't quite sure why she hadn't moved, she knew that she could have gotten out of the way quick enough. It was probably the headache that was still pounding in her ears, or maybe the soft whimpers that she heard when she took a step away from him. The beast within her refused to believe that one such as Sesshoumaru would turn her away, so it pushed at her to step back into his embrace, but she refused to do that. "I-I'm not sure," she said softly, before bringing a hand up to touch her skull. "My head hurts."

The danger of her being crushed underneath the tree was gone, but concern filled him when she said that. He told himself that it was probably just a headache, she deserved it with how much she argued with him, but he felt that he should not add to it. So, deciding this once that he would listen to the beast within him, he said, "I believe it is time that we go to bed, miko. We will continue this lesson in a few days time."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing," she said once he'd turned away from her.

"Hn." He continued to walk, knowing that she would follow, and was proven true after a few moments when the sound of her footsteps filled his ears. He knew that his beast, along with himself, believed the miko belonged to him, but he wondered once more why he wanted her. There were so many others that he could have, so many others that would surely have more beauty, more intelligence, or even be able to hold an argument better than she could. However, as his golden eyes turned toward her, gazing at her from the corner of his eye, he knew that though those things were true the miko would most likely seem better.

There was just  _something_  about her.

Something that was  _so_  much better than anything else he could ever have.

oOo

"Why did you do that?" she asked. It was odd that he wouldn't allow her to have a conversation with her friends. Besides, if he was going to go back into the control mode that he had switched on when she had figured out he was the heir to the Western Lands she was going to scream. Sure, she would happily continue to keep Kagura away from him whenever she was able to, since if he was a certain distance away from her it was kind of hard to keep the barrier up, but this was ridiculous. She should be able to talk with her friends, especially when he had been keeping her busy for a week, but as soon as Sango had opened her mouth, he'd told her that they were leaving.

"We're going to be late for class," he replied instantly.

"You are never worried that we'll be late," she frowned. "Besides, with your speed you can get there within a short amount of time, and I'm positive that there is enough time for you to get there and back a few times before the bell actually rings."

"Did you do the latest assignment for our first class?" he asked.

"Of course I did it," Kagome replied.

"Do you have it on you, miko?" he asked, stopping in the middle of the hall. He turned to face her, his lips tilting just a bit. There was no need to tell her why he had dragged her away from her friends. She most likely didn't notice the signs, her friend would most likely have to spell it out to her if she ever got her alone, but he was positive that she knew about youkai courting. It was required for ningen to understand what could happen should they court a youkai, though most ignored what they had been taught.

"Iie," she said. "Why do you care, though?"

"Then we shall return to the dormitory and retrieve it," he said, beginning to walk once more after turning from her.

Once more she wondered why he had dragged her away from the others because of this, but she was glad that they were allowed to be alone together. The inu blood coursing through her veins wanted that, even if Sesshoumaru was a different type of inu, and her beast wanted that. In a way, she also wanted that more than anything – not just because of the constant push for her to be near him, but because she really wanted it. So, she nodded, replying, "Fine." There really was no point in arguing with him if he wasn't going to pay attention to her anyway, and it was better to get the project into the classroom before the bell rang, instead of forgetting about it.

As they walked silently through the corridor, Kagome pondered on the idea that Sesshoumaru might be trying to keep her to himself. The thought was quickly pushed away, since she knew that he barely hung around anyone other than herself, so there were plenty of opportunities for them to be alone together. Besides, though the inu inside of her was delighted at the simple thought, he was always reminding her that he wouldn't wish to be alone with her anyway. She was his charge; his ward; the one that he had been instructed to teach because her beast saw him as her alpha, she wasn't anything special to him. Then again, she could not say that she knew how his brain worked completely, so there was the slightest possibility, and that single possibility made the piece of her that wanted him more than air burst with hope.

It was not long before they arrived at the dormitory and Sesshoumaru ordered her to retrieve her project. She muttered to herself, wondering why she always had to be attracted to the ones with a stick up their ass. Her mother always said she had bad taste, and she was beginning to think she was right, even though all the men she was usually attracted to were really hot, too. Sesshoumaru was definitely high on that list, but that still did not mean that she did not have bad taste in men. His attitude proved that in seconds.

Afterward they began walking toward the classroom, and arrived long before the bell rang. She muttered to herself that it was pointless for them to be so early, much to the amusement of Ms. Kumo, who smiled at her every once in a while. Then, after a long pause of silence, she turned to the inuyoukai sitting at her side. "Sesshoumaru, why are we here this early?" she asked.

"Would you rather be late, miko?" he smirked.

"Well, not really," she replied, "but it's pointless to be here this early."

"It is also pointless for this Sesshoumaru to try and have a pleasant conversation with one such as yourself, yet you seem to draw me into plenty of them," he said. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, his smirk growing a small degree, and noticed that her face turned a light shade of red. It was rather amusing to anger her, and it would easily pull her away from the curiosity she had been showing toward him since he pulled her away from her friends.

"Hate to  _break_  it to you," she growled, "but none of those are  _pleasant_." She spat out the last word as if it would leave a bad taste in her mouth, and turned her face away from him. Knowing he was staring at her, even if not directly, she pulled a notebook from her shoulder bag and flipped it open on the desk, showing off a couple of drawings she'd pervious done. Then, trying to ignore him the best she could, she began to lightly sketch on the paper, imagining that the lines were nonexistent, since she had forgotten to bring her sketchpad to the school with her.

"As you are beginning to prove," he said.

Pausing in the curve she was creating, she shot him a small glare. "It's not my fault that you constantly have to insult me," she hissed. She might like him, her beast may see him as the one it wanted to mate, but she  _hated_  being insulted. She had proven time and again with youkai that she could back up her threats, but she couldn't seem to threaten or even try to purify Sesshoumaru. Besides, he was an heir, she could get into major trouble if she did actually manage to purify him, and he was rather strong for his age, so she wasn't even sure if she would be able to.

"This Sesshoumaru was not aware he had," he stated. "True, this Sesshoumaru has insulted you in the past, but I do not believe that an insult has passed my lips within the last few hours."

"Then you obviously need to listen to yourself when you talk," she snorted.  _Damn him_ , she thought. Going back to her drawing, she continued to sketch the thin crescent moon, before beginning to draw the roses that had wrapped themselves around it. She was surprised that it was taking him so long to reply, but when she glanced at him from the corner of her eye she noticed that he seemed content on watching her draw. Probably because his ego was bursting at the fact that the crescent moon on her paper looked a lot like the marking on his forehead, only thinner. Cursing herself silently, she continued to draw, determined to ignore him once more.

Finally, after a long drawn out silence, Sesshoumaru replied, "Perhaps you should listen."

Tired of him insulting her subtly, and determined to knock some sense into his head, she turned to give him a piece of her mind and possibly a dose of her miko energy. True, she had not used it in large quantities since her youkai blood had surfaced, but that did not mean that she wasn't willing to try, even if she managed to purify a bit of herself in the process. However, when she opened her mouth to begin giving him the long rant hanging on the tip of her tongue, the bell rang. So, she cursed her luck and hoped that the class got over quickly, because she hated seeing that disgustingly pleasant smirk on his face at the moment.

Sesshoumaru congratulated himself, knowing that he had driven away the thoughts he knew she had had earlier. True, he was not quite sure how long he wanted to keep the miko, whether forever as his mate or a short amount of time as his plaything, but he did not wish to give up his fun so quickly. Her friend would have to try quite hard to detach her from his side, even if he had to listen to her whine about it later. He had managed to push her into her studies and training for the last week, but he knew that within that time her friend had been trying to find a way to get her alone. Why give up his fun now, when he had been having so much fun while crushing her friend's hope that she might get her alone each time she tried?

"Alright class," Ms. Kumo began, "I hope that each and every one of you finished your projects. We shall randomly choose who will go after a person has finished, just like last time, and today we shall started with," she glanced around the room, "Kirara, why don't you start us off."

The neko rose from her seat, saying, "Of course" in a somewhat small voice. It was quite obvious that she did not wish to go first, but was willing to in order to get it over with.

oOo

**Corridor**

"Kagome."

Sesshoumaru turned to find the neko standing at the miko's side, smiling softly at her. He narrowed his eyes, knowing that her friend Sango was the one that was determined to tell her, but he was unsure if the neko wished to as well. Then again, when she bowed her head toward him after catching his eye, he knew that she would honor the fact that he should be the one to tell her, since he was the youkai courting her. It was better that way, since then he could determine whether or not he wished to court her until they mated or simply until his beast tired of her – the first would obviously end with him telling her, the second would not.

"Oh, hi Kirara," Kagome smiled. She noticed that Kirara was clutching her notebook to her chest, and smiled a little brighter. The neko was so kind, even if she had seen her become quite vicious toward Miroku, and she was happy to see her continue to write, since it was obviously what she liked to do. "How are you today?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine," Kirara said, eyeing the inuyoukai once more. She knew that Sango was concerned, but she also knew that courting was between the one doing the courting and the one being courted. There was no reason for her to interfere in it, even if she knew Kagome might not know that she was being courted. "I wanted to know if you would like to work with me on our next assignment?"

"Sure, I'd like that," Kagome replied. "It will beat the time that I had to work with Sesshoumaru. He wouldn't say anything as we were working, simply glaring at me whenever I tried to ask him a question. I'm kind of glad that he's beginning to pull that stick out of his ass."

Kirara forced down the giggle that lodged itself in her throat when she noticed that Sesshoumaru was glaring at her friend. "Um, which time period would you like to work on then, Kagome?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Which one would you like to do, Kirara?" Kagome asked.

"Well, I know a bit about the Edo period," Kirara said. "But, I wouldn't mind doing the Heian period if I had to."

"Those would work for me," Kagome nodded. "We can ask Ms. Kumo if we could do one tomorrow, or maybe later today. I know a lot about the Edo period, so it would be the quickest, but both would work."

"You do?" Kirara blinked. She knew that Kagome liked history, but she was not sure how much she knew about it. It would be nice to get the time period that they both knew something about, though she had mostly only studied people from different time periods, because then they could spend a little more time together. Sesshoumaru had been keeping her busy most of the day for the last week; it had been hard to even try to talk to her because she had been concentrating so hard. To get a little time to talk and laugh together because they finished early would be very welcome, since she cherished her friendship with Kagome.

Kagome nodded, "My grandfather is the head priest at the shrine where we live. He likes to tell a lot of stories, most of which seem kind of strange, but most of them are pretty true or at least close to the original event that happened. People, youkai and ningen, often come in order to look through the scrolls, too, since they like to try and piece together things that have been lost, yet sitting right in front of our noses. I learned a lot from reading some of the scrolls, but most of it from when he likes to sit me down and retell a story he's just read."

"It seems very exciting," Kirara replied.

"You know what, Kirara?" she saw her friend blink at her in curiosity. "You should come to the shrine someday. I'm sure that there would be something that would interest you, or maybe give you some idea for a new story. Speaking of which, how far are you now with ' _Miko of the Moon_ '?"

"Oh, from my notes I've written down, I'd say that I'm a little over halfway finished," Kirara smiled. "I think that I might be able to finish it before the school year begins next year. I'll let you have the first copy after my father edits it; he sent me a letter saying that he wants to begin as soon as I've finished in order to get it published quicker."

"That's very kind of you, Kirara. I'd like that; it was very good, even though I didn't read everything that you'd written," Kagome smiled. "I just had so much I had to do, I didn't think that I'd ever pick it up or give it back."

"I understand," Kirara replied softly. "I have to make time to write with all the studying they make us do here."

Kagome groaned, "I know what you mean. Sesshoumaru's a slave driver, constantly telling me for the last week that I'm getting behind in my studies. I was only getting behind  _because_  he was taking up most of it with training." She scowled at the youkai who'd turned to glare at her a bit more, "I was beginning to wonder how many more weeks it would be before I managed to ever talk to my friends again."

Kirara forced down her giggle, knowing that she should not show amusement at how they constantly seemed to fight. She was only glad that they were not trying to spill blood, slice each other's throats open, or anything gruesome. They seemed to argue a lot, but she had a feeling that if they didn't they wouldn't have the relationship they had – if a person could call it that. "I'm sure that in time you would be able to speak with us, Kagome," Kirara said.

"Yeah, when he's decided that I've finally began to listen to him," she snorted. "I'll start doing that completely when he starts being kind." Her eyes narrowed a bit, her curiosity as to why he had constantly pulled her away from her friends returning to her mind. She knew that she could have caught up with her studies and continued to train as she had been, but he had seemed very determined to keep her from speaking with them. Any of them, though he obviously wasn't objecting to her talking to Kirara.

A small frown formed onto her lips as she continued to speak with Kirara. Her mind instantly clicked to the most logical explanation that she could think of when it came to the subject. There was something that he did not want her to know, or maybe something that she wasn't supposed to tell them, and he wanted to keep her away from the ones who were most likely to tell her – Sango, and Miroku, the two she had known the longest and the two who were ningen.

oOo

**Fourth Period**

All right, she had concluded that he did not wish for her to speak with Sango.

The incident in the corridor a moment before they had entered their fourth period classroom proved that, since Miroku had practically ran her over in his haste to get to class. Apparently the genius had forgotten something that he needed and only remembered it when he had gotten halfway there, so he had gone back, got whatever it was he needed, and had intended to run back to his classroom. Obviously he had not intended to run her over, though he had done just that, and Sesshoumaru had made no move to stop him when he had apologized, explained rather quickly, and rushed off once more.

Then again, it was possible that he had not demanded she get into the classroom because Miroku was in such a hurry, and without the gift of youkai speed needed to leave as soon as possible. The poor boy had been panting and trying to suck in as much oxygen as his lungs could handle while he tried to remember how to speak. That could have been an excellent reason for Sesshoumaru to have simply allowed her to speak with him for the moment, but she was positive that it was only Sango he didn't want her speaking with. Having to spend so much time with him made her notice that when Sango had tried to speak he quickly turned her attention elsewhere, while he hadn't even flinched when Miroku began to speak.

What reason did he have to stop her from talking with her best friend?

That question was the foremost in her mind; the question that she wanted to know above all else. That question was surrounded by a very interesting puzzle that pulled forth a bit of the kitsune that she knew resided in her blood, as she wished to put together the pieces. However, the inu inside of her was overpowering, telling her that it did not matter whether he wished to keep her from her friends or not, as long as he did not leave their side and seek another female as a companion. She knew that those thoughts needed to be driven from her head, it was the beast talking – the  _animal_  that she could not let control her –, and continue to be his friend, nothing more.

She began to gently move her pencil between her fingers, the tip or eraser gently touching the top of her desk each time it tipped the opposite direction. Then, with a bit of frustration, she began to tap the ends a little harder against the desk, causing her to snap to attention when the English teacher demanded her attention and told her to quit, twitching all the while, tapping her pencil every time she enters his classroom. She blushed a little afterward, bowed her head in acceptance and put the pencil down, since there was no reason for her to get yelled at anymore than necessary. She really needed to get over that habit; it annoyed the hell out of Mr. Saru from what she could tell.

Yuki twitched, before continuing to write on the board as he had been before. The miko girl still gave him the chills; it annoyed him that he was so bothered by her, but there was no changing it. He noticed, however, that Sesshoumaru had entered the room with her. They had seemed to be getting closer and closer since Katana had assigned Sesshoumaru to the task of teaching the miko about her new abilities, and he knew that somehow Ivy was behind it. Somehow, he had never been quite sure, she was making sure that they could at least tolerate each other, since he was one of the most powerful youkai in the school at the moment, so that when spring came… He twitched at the thought.

Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to sweep over Kagome's back, a small smirk forming from how she had straightened after being basically snapped at. It was easy to tell that she was frustrated, obviously wondering what he was doing from the looks of things when she glanced back toward him. He doubted that she would be able to figure it out without help, no matter how much intelligence she showed in the classroom. It made him wonder once again what, besides her power, could have drawn his beast toward her in the first place.

She seemed average to his eye when it came to beauty; he had seen many females that could outshine her with a simple flick of their hair. Yet, at the same time, with her natural look and bright smile she could easily outshine any female with twice as much beauty. She showed kindness to anyone that she first met; he knew that that could easily end with her being hurt. Yet, her kindness was something that seemed to draw those close to her in a little more each day, making their loyalty stronger and stronger. She was powerful, there was no denying that; however, he had come across females that held nearly the same amount of power. Yet, it seemed that the idea of being purified, even if now she might purify herself as well – it had yet to be determined –, was very appealing to him.

A small sigh passed through his nose, and he growled a bit in his throat the more he thought about it. The miko was an oddity, an enigma, yet she seemed to be drawing him in as if he were a moth drawn to a flame. His beast, almost from the beginning, had disliked the idea of harming the miko, of even pushing her away. He hated it more than ever, even if it was apart of him, and even if it had decided to stay silent while he spent time training the miko. He was not sure if he wanted to keep the miko completely, to truly mate with her as he was sure his beast wanted, or even stand her presence if he did decide to take her, yet he found himself drowning in  _her_.

To put it simply, he could not stop thinking about her – everything about her –, and each day it seemed that he was leaning more toward keeping her. Whether as a lover, a mate, or simply his – he hated to say it –  _friend_ , he was not entirely sure. He was confused, his beast continued to push at his consciousness, and he knew to some extent that the miko thought of him as her alpha. He knew that her beast would make her submit to his dominance, and that seemed to appeal to him even more than the thought of her being able to purify him.  _And_ , damn it, he hated to think of what others might think of her if he took her, even if he told himself that it did not matter.

Feeling his aura pressing down on her, Kagome turned to stare at Sesshoumaru as his eyes shut and his back stiffened. She had not felt him press his entire aura against her own in quite some time, it was almost disturbing to feel it again, but she could tell that he was not doing it on purpose. Something was bothering him, and as Mr. Saru tapped his piece of chalk against the board as a sign that class was beginning, she wondered what could be bothering him. However, she turned away and allowed the thought to slip from her mind, since she was sure that he would tell her, even if rudely, if he wanted her to know.

Besides, she still needed to figure out why he did not want her to speak with her friend. True, her beast was delighted that he wished to spend time with her, even if by dragging her away with a command, but she wanted to know. Sango had to know something that he did not want Sango to know, and Sango probably wanted to tell her, which meant that Sesshoumaru did not want her to know about it either. She could not even begin to imagine what Sesshoumaru thought was so bad, or whatever, that he did not wish for her to know about it. She would not think less of him, he should know that, so it was kind of depressing that he did not wish for her to know about it.

oOo

**Second Run**

Kagome narrowed her eyes at Sesshoumaru's back as the youkai continued to jog ahead of her. She was positive that whatever he did not want her to know of was really, really bad now. It was down hearting, her beast snarled at the thought, but maybe Sango had seen him with a female, a full-blooded youkai female, doing something that she did not wish to think about. What else could he not want her to know about after the incident with Kagura and the twins? He had flat out said that he did not see Kagura that way, which had caused her beast to soar to a new paradise, but that did not mean that he did not have an interest in another female, or ningen woman.

Her beast snarled and prowled inside of her at the very thought. It hated that Sesshoumaru might have gotten involved with another female other than her. It wanted blood, even if she, or her beast, could not smell any other female on him. The only scent that surrounded him was his own, a bit of hers, and the lingering scents of the people he passed in the corridors. Still, her beast wanted her to allow it free to fix the problem if there was another female – it wanted to tear into a possible piece of competition, sure that Sesshoumaru would see that she was stronger and thus take her instead of this new piece of  _trash_.

The beast pushed a bit more at her thoughts, and she found herself growling, " _Mine_."

Sesshoumaru paused, glancing back at her. Her eyes were bleeding, he noticed, and her lengthening claws were twitching at her side. He had heard the possessive tone that she was using before, and he wondered once more what she thought of as her own. Her beast had obviously claimed something, or someone, and he wondered what, or who, it could be. His own beast snarled at the thought that it could be someone other than himself, since it saw him as her alpha, but there was always the possibility. However, he shook the thought away, reigning further control over his beast, and snapped, "Miko, control yourself."

Kagome blinked, bumping into Sesshoumaru's back as she came to a stop. Blinking again, she looked up at him in confusion, asking, "What?"

"Obviously you have yet to tell whenever you are nearly losing control," Sesshoumaru stated disapprovingly. "You will need to work some more on that."

She nodded, her beast recoiling at the thought that he was disappointed in her. She was still glad that he was with her; she was worried about what she could end up doing if he wasn't actually there. She could end up hurting someone simply because her beast was  _obsessed_  – that was a good word for it – with the inuyoukai in front of her. She could not blame it, since then she would be blaming herself, because he was a beautiful and powerful male, but she did not want to end up hurting someone. "I'm sorry, I'll try harder," she said softly.

"Do not apologize to this Sesshoumaru, miko," Sesshoumaru snorted. "Apologize to yourself if you must, for you are simply going to get yourself into trouble by losing control." He turned away once she had nodded to him, returning to his previous speed of jogging. His thoughts, however, returned to what it was that she considered her own, since he would need to control himself should he find the miko he was courting wanted another. Though, the thought of bathing in another males blood before her was rather exciting, since her beast would most likely break away from its cage and mate with him on the spot.

Kagome sighed, glancing up as she began to jog once more. She did not want to lose control of herself as she was beginning to do, so she was not entirely sure if she wanted to talk with Sango anymore. Doing so could end with very deadly consequences, and she really did not wish to hurt anyone. Her beast, if he truly was seeing another female, would need to be put in its place, because she would not wish to ruin her friendship – if she could really call it that – with him. She wanted to keep, or obtain more, of whatever they had together, but ruining his time with another female or even showing how much it hurt her could crush whatever she was in his mind.

Even that was not acceptable her to beast. It backed down the instant that the thought crossed her mind, whimpering pitiful words that meant nothing to her at the moment. It did not wish to displease the male it saw as alpha, no matter how much it wanted to be seen as his bitch, his  _mate_ , and those thoughts were expressed to Kagome, the master, immediately as it continued to whimper. However, even through the whimpering a slight snarl echoed from its cage, signaling that it still wished to rip open the throat of this possible female, if there truly was one.

Turning her head slightly, a smile appeared onto Kagome's face when she noticed that Sango was standing not too far away with Kirara and Miroku. She might not want to know what Sango wanted to tell her at the moment, but she still wasn't opposed to speaking with her friend. Any of her friends, since she was finding that the new ones she had gained were just as exciting and fun as her old friends – and the loyalty she knew she had from them was an added bonus. Besides, she had managed to speak with everyone, even her cousin Kikyo, except for Sango all day long, and she was pretty sure that Sesshoumaru was the reason behind that. She might admit to herself that she liked him, but she wasn't going to allow him to stop her from spending time with her friends.

"Miko," came his command.

Kagome stiffened, turning toward him, and found that he was standing in front of her. He was staring at her from down his nose, something she had found she hated since he had first done it while they were training. His gaze was disappointing still, and she was not quite sure if it was still from her losing control or something else, but she stiffened a little more. "Hai, Sesshoumaru?" she asked.

"You are wasting time." He stated this rather coldly. "Come."

Feeling a small amount of anger bubble underneath her skin, she opened her mouth to snap at him, but found that her friends were already moving out of the corner of her eye. Apparently they were ready to continue running, as she had been doing before she had seen them – well, not  _running_. However, there was no reason to yell at Sesshoumaru if her friends weren't going to stay in one spot long enough for her to talk to them anyway. Though, his cold tone did cause her to breath deeply before allowing it to slowly exit her lungs. He could be such an ass most of the time; she was beginning to wonder why her beast was drawn to him in the first place, other than his power.

He glanced at her friends from the corner of his eye, and then turned to begin jogging once more. He had thought for a moment, when he had felt her stop once more, that she was going to approach her friends. He was not blind, nor was he deaf, for he had become quite aware that now not only Sango knew of his courtship with the miko, but so did the neko, Kirara, the ningen male, Miroku, and the kitsune, Shippo. He doubted that the neko or kitsune would interfere, but the ningens did not have youkai instincts, nor did they have to obey youkai laws. The female, Sango, was quite determined to inform her friend of what she knew, which was what caused him to snap for her attention so coldly.

 _I'm coming, I'm coming_ , Kagome sighed to herself as she began to move once more. However, she allowed her eyes to widen after a few moments when she glanced backwards to confirm what she had thought she saw. She did not see anything, but narrowed her eyes as she caught up to Sesshoumaru's side. She was positive she had seen it, but it was very strange, since she did not even think they had known each other.

So, her new question: what were Kagura and Kouga doing together?

It was possible that they were working together in order to try and place a wedge between her and Sesshoumaru. Another snarl echoed from her beast, but she ignored the animal as she thought about it. Kagura had not even glanced up; she had seemed to be talking with Kouga intently when she had thought she'd seen them. Perhaps it was just her imagination, though?  _That_  was also possible, even if she was pretty sure she had seen what she thought she saw.

oOo

**Corridor**

Letting out a soft groan, she wondered when this day was going to be over. Professor Katana had pushed them to the limit, upping each of them in their training course in order to help increase their endurance. She needed all the extra endurance she could get, but it had become ridiculous when the inuyoukai professor had begun to follow her around and no one else. Apparently she was also aware that she needed to the extra push, but her back and feet were extremely sore now. She just wanted to fall into her bed in the art dormitory and forget that anything had ever happened, but she knew that Sesshoumaru would be waiting for her outside in an hour and expect her there.

However, she was slightly glad that Sesshoumaru was not on her heels now, though. He had taken a glance at her tired form when she had come inside after finishing and told her to go wash before meeting him outside, then he had disappeared with a burst of speed she couldn't even imagine keeping up with. She hated him for leaving her alone, standing there like an idiot, feeling ready to collapse and expecting her to continue with  _their_  training later. He was such a slave driver, no matter how much she needed to learn how to control the beast that now prowled within her, and she hated him for that.

Well, she didn't  _hate_  him in the true essence of the word, she didn't even think she could, but it was  _ridiculous_. She could only last so long, no matter how much her abilities had expanded beyond the normal ningen range, or miko range, or whatever. He should not expect these from her, especially not after such a long day, yet he did. He  _did_ , damn it. She did not want him to change, she didn't, but for once she wished that he could find a bit of compassion in his soul. Just a tiny bit; so small that she wouldn't even notice it until she was passed out in her bed and oblivious to everything else going on around her.

But,  _no_  – she seriously doubted it would ever happen, even in a million years.

Continuing to tread forward, nearly dragging her feet as she sought to return to their dormitory, take a shower, and then sit down until she had to go meet him outside. That was all she wanted. That was all she  _wished_ for at that moment. It was such a little thing, she was positive that she would get it, instead of Sesshoumaru suddenly jumping out of nowhere and telling her to forget about it, they were going to train that instant. She whimpered at the thought, because if it did happen, she was going to kill him—

A hand wrapped around her arm, tugging her with such strength that she toppled over into the bathroom that was at her left. A cry left her throat, as she turned to take on the person that dared assault her, knowing that it was female – unless a male had decided to drag her into the girls bathroom. However, when she raised her lengthening claws, her lip raised in a snarl, she turned and allowed shock to override anything that she was thinking at the moment. Sure, she knew that the female in front of her had enough strength to pull her off her feet, but she had found herself sitting on her butt on the tile, and she didn't like it. Why couldn't she have just gotten her one little wish?

"I hate you, Sango," she muttered.

Sango rolled her eyes, "Now is not the time for those types of things, Kagome. I have something very, very important to tell you."

Kagome stiffened, "I've known that for some time now."

"You have?" Sango blinked in confusion. Had Kagome figured it out so quickly? Sesshoumaru was only using the basic methods of courting so far, keeping her close – covering her in his scent most likely –, talking to her in a somewhat  _pleasant_  way, and a few other subtle things from what she had seen. She did not expect Kagome to have been able to figure something like this out from just those little things; her friend usually needed a push in the right direction when it came to things like this. Especially when she seemed to be melting into a pile of love-struck happiness.

"It was kind of obvious, wasn't it?" Sango's mouth nearly fell open, for Kagome was intelligent, but usually never when it came to these things. "I mean, Sesshoumaru's been dragging me away from you all day, all  _week_  in fact, it was only obvious that he didn't want you to tell me something."

"Oh, so you  _don't_  know what it is I want to tell you?" Sango asked.

Kagome shook her head. "Not really, but I wish that you hadn't dragged me to the ground." She turned her head upward,  _if it's not Sesshoumaru, it's everyone else. Why? Why do you hate me so much? I asked for one little thing; just one, is that truly so much to ask for?_

"Kagome," Sango sighed, "what I need to tell you is something  _very_  important, alright?"

"I understand that much, Sango," Kagome reached out her hand. "However, could you help me up before you start, I'm not exactly into the idea of sitting here all day."

Sango grabbed her hand and helped her friend to her feet before looking her in the eye. "Kagome, I want you to think long and hard after I tell you what I need to. I don't want you to suddenly get a lot of ideas into your head because your… your  _beast_  begins to get excited—"

"Sango?" Kagome asked, growing concerned. Her beast began to whimper, wondering what it was that could excite it, since that would not be competition. Kagome blinked once, twice, feeling her beast's hope growing, wondering what it was that Sango could want to tell her. However, there was still the possibility, a fact that her beast hissed and snarled at, and if it became too much for her to handle… she could end up hurting Sango, and possibly the rest of her friends. She didn't want that.

"I want you to simply acknowledge the dangers that may come from what I'm going to tell you," Sango continued.

"I think its best you just get it done and over with," Kagome muttered loud enough for her to hear. She bowed her head, waiting for the blow that she was sure to come, at least mentally. If it was something bad, her beast would try to break free, rage overpowering its hope, and she wasn't completely sure if she would be able to hold it off. A headache from its anger was one thing, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to handle its true rage, not for the first time with Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru," Sango stopped for a moment, "he's…"

 _He's what? He's what?_  Kagome wondered, biting the inside of her lip.

Sango grabbed the end of her shirt and twisted it between her fingers. "Sesshoumaru is… he's…"

_What? What?_

She paused again, and then said very quickly, "Sesshoumaru's  _courting_  you, Kagome!"


	23. Obsession

" _Sesshoumaru's_ courting _you, Kagome!_ " echoed into her head once more. Her friend's worry had been obviously from her hesitance to explain the situation. Sango was a good friend, but she could not help but wonder if Sango's observation was correct.

It was hard to tell with someone like Sesshoumaru, but...

Was he really?

Could he  _really_  be?

She stared at his back, tilting her head slightly to one side. She knew that he most likely knew that she had had contact with Sango finally, something she was sure he was trying to keep her from doing. However, she could not help but wonder if Sango's words were true, if Sesshoumaru was really courting her. She had never had a youkai court her, she was not quite sure what it was like, but that didn't mean that she was stupid when it came to the subject.

Sango was worried, she had expressed that after she had finally come out and told her what she had been trying to since Sesshoumaru had taken her away from the library over a week ago. She had known everything that Sango had gone into, but the consequences of courting a youkai did not seem all that bad if she could actually figure out if Sango's suspicion was true or not. Besides, if it were true, she was pretty sure that she would be able to handle it, at least to the point that she did not ruin everything and cause Sesshoumaru's beast to think that she was going to ignore it or cheat on it. After all, those were two of the major things that went through the mind of a youkai, or at least rose within the beast, and caused the youkai to go into a rage, which normally ended in either the death or rape of the courted.

Sesshoumaru was strong, though. He was honorable, as he liked to remind her. She doubted that he would allow himself to lose that much control. There was a slight chance that he might, if she got him angry enough, but she doubted that he would want to hurt her. Especially if he was beginning to view her in such a light, which she had to admit was somewhat laughable, considering the near hostility they had had toward one another in the beginning – or, the hostility he had had toward her, at least.

Readjusting her books, Kagome frowned a bit more at his back. It was so hard to tell what he was thinking, and even though her beast was rejoicing at that very moment, she had to wonder if he  _hated_  her because of what he felt. She knew that was a possibility, that that could be the reason he had not told her himself that he was courting her, but she felt her beast snarl and hiss at the very thought. Apparently the animal was very opposed to the one it thought as its own trying to deny what he was doing – it believed him to be strong and intelligent, and just  _waiting_  to tell her. And, the slight conflict inside of her caused her to sigh in frustration, wishing that the stubborn inu would just speak up  _once_  in a while.

"Miko." His voice was amused, she could tell easily, and she wondered what it was that caused his tone to become so. However, she wanted to hit herself afterward for even thinking of wondering, since she knew very well he was delighting in her plight. He might be courting her – though she was still slightly doubtful, and wanted him to just say it –, but that did not mean he was not still Sesshoumaru. "What is it that has you so unfocused?"

Pausing in step, and noticing that she had almost tripped over her own feet from the question, she huffed. "Nothing that you should be concerned about, Sesshoumaru," she sighed. She knew that she was lying, since it was his concern if he was courting her, but she was not sure if she should just ask him if he was. She did not want to go through the awkwardness of asking someone like him, but she also did not want to feel turned down if he was not.

"Hn," he replied.

She was slightly surprised that he dropped the subject so quickly, but decided that it really did not matter all that much. After all, he was probably just in a hurry to get her outside and work her still somewhat tired body to the bone. He had come to get her as she sat on her bed, thinking over Sango's words, and ordered her to grab her things and follow him outside – she had apparently taken too much time in getting ready and had spent over an hour thinking. Because of her tardiness,  _and_  the fact that he had to come get her, he probably come some insane training ritual set up for her.

Though, that did not explain why he had told her to bring her homework – or the remaining bit she had not done, at least.

Sesshoumaru did not waste time in returning to his original pace, a small smirk appearing on his face. He had no doubt that the miko was wondering over her friend's words. He had known that the girl was close by, and had paused in his retreat from the miko to return and tell her that he had decided to change their training session a bit only to find her scent mixing with her friend's inside a bathroom. He had not thought Kagome's friend would go to such extremes, but he guessed that now it was only a matter of time before the miko cracked and asked him what his intentions were. Though, truthfully, he was not quite sure himself, and that angered him to a small degree.

He supposed, from the confusion in her scent, that she was also wondering about a few others things from the way her scent was thickening. It could be a number of things, but from the sight of her adjusting her books out of the corner of his eye, he guessed that it must be the reason he ordered her to bring them. She was stubborn, though, and looked ready to throw a few whips laced with poison at him before asking him a simply question. It required a simple answer, but the miko would not receive it unless she decided to take the chance of him ignoring her.

No doubt that would rile her beast up some more.

His smirk widened at the thought, since it was quite clear now what her beast thought of him. Katana had instantly realized that the beast forming within Kagome saw him as her alpha, as she rightfully should, but he knew that it saw him as something more. He had almost hit himself when he realized it earlier, his beast soaring with the fact that she was already wishing to become his mate, since it had not been hard to figure out. She lost control around him,  _only_  him, and had only uttered words of possession when in his presence, never even casting another glance toward any males near them. The only logical conclusion was that her beast saw him as the most powerful male and had claimed him, wishing to lie on its back and let him have his way with her.

He had been almost as foolish as his half-brother, but he had come to the realization not long after he had left her within the bathroom with her friend. Her scent had grown hopeful, lustful in a subtle way, and he had heard his name mentioned. It had hit him at that moment that she had only uttered her word of possession when staring at  _him_ , being close to  _him_ , or having  _his_  name mentioned in a sentence. However, though this was true, her beast had taken control in those times, and even if  _it_  wished to claim him, most likely pushing its master in order to do so, it did not mean that the part of her that was still separate wanted it as well.

He felt himself sink deeply into emotions that he did not understand, his vision filling with the sight of two kitsune loving her neck and lips. He knew that she hated the fact that they claimed her as if she was not a person of her own, but he also knew that a part of her wished to dive deep into the embrace they offered. A growl vibrated through his chest, though he managed to silent the sound that would have echoed into the empty corridor. Anger swirled in his chest, his eyes flashing, as he told himself that the miko would soon see that he was the only one who could give her what she needed – he would be the one to have her.

His eyes flickered toward the hidden figure, a hiss passing from his lips. The fool might feel something for his miko, but he would not manage to pull her away from him. The kitsune was a fool to even consider looking at her now, especially after she pushed them away. However, as he walked on, a part of him snickered as the kitsune followed, for it had been some time since he had beaten something black and blue.

OoO

Kikyo turned on her heel, staring down the corridor with her eyes narrowed. She could have sworn that she had felt something. However, the old magic running within the walls was a large distraction, and she was not quite sure if she had felt anything at all. Her lips thinned together, before she finally turned to continue walking back to the drama dormitory sleeping quarters. She decided to ignore the feeling for the moment, for the old magic in rushing through the school was pressing down upon her senses, and she could feel the power of the inuyoukai heir and her cousin rising in the distance.

The very thought caused her to close her eyes as a sigh escaped her mouth. She had never expected for her cousin to be one of the special ones in their family line – never expected for the youkai blood in their veins to show itself in Kagome. However, it had, and she had to wonder why their family was so unique that only those whose youkai blood leaked forth were able to use both youki and holy ki without killing themselves. Naturally, they should have died the moment the blood began to strengthen, yet those like Kagome were able to draw forth both abilities, becoming something powerful and strange.

A small scowl then appeared on her face. No doubt that was one of the reasons the Western Taiyoukai Heir had taken interest in her. Youkai of his caliber were not known for looking at human women because of their personality, but more for the strengths they might hold, the beauty on their face, or the refusal to submit. Kagome had all of them now, so it was no surprise that the inuyoukai was beginning to finally sniff around her. If she remembered correctly, after all, he had not been able to stand her when she had first seen them together.

That youkai did not deserve her cousin, even if she was beginning to fall for his charm.

Her shoes clicked on the floor, echoing down the empty corridor, when she realized that the echo was off. She took no time to warn the other, as she turned completely on the spot, her hair swishing around her as she went. Her eyes narrowed, searching the rest of the hallway, trying to find the reason for the extra pair of shoes. Her scowl deepened a bit, finding nothing, even as she tried to extent her powers, only to feel the magic within the school rise in response. It appeared that no one had ever been there, but Kikyo was not so easily fooled, since she knew that any youkai, any hanyou, would be able to hide themselves within a second with the change in scent.

Narrowing her eyes another fraction, Kikyo finally turned, quickly shifting her head to glance once more after a moment. She still found nothing, and told herself that it had probably been coming from another corridor. After all, the one ahead of her could contain a student who stopped for a short break, or entered an open classroom. So, deciding that she was safe, she returned to her trek toward the drama dormitory – she needed to practice her lines before she went to sleep.

OoO

His eyes narrowed, watching them closely as the inu instructed the beauty at his side, telling her how to manipulate her whips to become poisonous. They had practiced creating toxic fumes earlier, and his eyes twinkled at the memory of her quick ability to learn and copy the motions that the inu described. However, though it was true that her accomplishment warmed his insides, making him giddy to see just how far her learning abilities went, his chest twisted the more he watched them. Damn it, he should have realized the power she had as a simple miko and approached her, instead of going after that annoying twit his brother had insisted on as they were shipped to the school.

The hair on the back of his neck rose, annoyed with himself for ever having listened to his brother. Yes, he loved his brother as dearly as he ever could, but often times Haruki did not understand the needs that he felt crawling beneath his skin. The need to release himself from his brother's hold, even though he loved him more than he knew he had ever loved anything. Haruki had been with him through everything, he should not wish to be rid of him, yet at times it felt like he was suffocating, surrounded by many even though it was only his brother glaring down at him.

Akio glanced up, his eyes flashing as he looked toward the sky. His brother was a fool, wishing to play with such a creature's heart, only to throw it away. He had seen the consequences of calling her his own, since she had rebelled and wished nothing to do with him, but he would not make such a mistake again. No, oh no, for he was much smarter than some often thought, and he did not need his brother in order to capture a woman's heart. It was simple enough, and soon he would have the miko's heart cradled in his hand as his brother drifted through women alone and distant.

He  _would_  have her love.

A growl lifted into his chest, his eyes returning to the scene before him. The inu was glancing in his direction, his hand holding the maiden's gently as he showed her the correct motion to use for the most damage. He was not one to use poisons, but Akio knew that teaching such a technique did not require as much contact as the inu was giving her. His growl increased, as his nostrils flared, scenting the slight change in the woman's scent, as a deep red rose onto her cheeks. His fingers twitched at the smell, wanting to tear the inu's arm from his socket, before whisking Kagome away in order to show her that he needed her and she needed him.

A scowl worked its way onto his handsome face, his black eyes beginning to swim with blood. His mind was in mass chaos, confusion for his sudden lust for the odd miko, and the refusal to meet his sibling's demands causing him almost physical pain. He had kitsune promised Yumi, he had, but he could not spot himself from wanting what he wanted. Surely she would understand that! She, after all, had chased after a ningen male for twenty years before she had come to this place, and often told them tales when they were younger of how the man chose a ningen woman because she did  _not_  care if he grew old.

Yumi's lust for beauty had lost her the male she wished as her mate. He would not lose his female because of her or the foolish inu that continued to act superior. He cared not for his status, nor his older siblings, and neither of them would stand in his way of what he needed.

OoO

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air lightly, his lips twitching as he smelled the miko's shift in scent. She went through emotions like an excessive reader went through books, but he found that he much preferred the scent of her embarrassment mixed lightly with arousal. His beast purred at the smell, as his nose tried to pull in as much of the delightful scent as it could before it managed to slip away. He might not know to what extent he wished to keep his little miko, but he enjoyed having the privilege to take in the intoxicating scent she was currently releasing.

However, never once did he show her this. He refused to give into her so easily, not when he had tried so hard to get her away from him completely. Surely she had not forgotten his attempts to get the ookami to go after her, or perhaps the numerous times he had tried to make her strike him in hopes of getting her expelled. He was not weak, and he would be damned it the miko ever knew how much she affected him now compared to his hatred before. He would be damned if he ever allowed her to know how much his head swam taking in her scent at that moment, because she need not know so if he chose not to keep her.

"You release the poison the same way you released the gas, but in a thicker form," he continued to explain, despite his twitching nostrils. "It should  _swim_  down the energy you use to create the whip, as the energy holds it in place. Should the poison from your claws drip onto the ground, you have used too little, and if your whip begins to dissolve into an acid whip, you have used too much. However, despite the added addition to the poison, it is much like forming a natural energy whip, which this Sesshoumaru is aware you can do, miko."

Her face flushed a bit more, remembering the feel of her face pressed against his chest as she glared at Kagura. Her claws twitched at the memory of her whip wrapping around the wind youkai's throat, ready to end her life. Oh, how she wanted to now. Sesshoumaru had made it quite clear that Kagura had forced herself onto him, and the feelings swelling in her breast, along with the numerous other times she had tried to force her presence upon him, she wanted nothing more than to end her existence. However, she would not because she did not wish to be the one responsible for taking another life, especially out of revenge.

She could easily hold another off, or snapped at them, but ending a life was not something she did lightly. It was not something she would ever do lightly, because she knew not only the consequences, but she feared what others around her might think she should truly lose that much control.

"Miko," Sesshoumaru scowled, his voice demanding. "Now is not the moment for you to be ignoring this Sesshoumaru's presence, but to be practicing. And I expect you to do so."

Her face burned. "Right."

Amusement filled his chest, as her scent grew as the faintest bit. No doubt her beast was whispering in her ear, for though they were different, her beast still had the basic instincts that his own knew. It probably whispered to her to submit to his will, his command, in hopes that doing the order will get her something in return. And, damn it, if his own beast did not perk up at the thought and begin rattling in its cage for him to do just that. His beast did not care if she had holy powers, if she was not completely youkai, or if he had originally disliked her very presence. It only knew what it wanted, what he wanted, and that was her.

As she began, his eyes flickered to the nearby trees, wondering if he should turn Kagome around in order for her strike to hit them instead. However, he quickly dropped the idea, knowing that should she think for a moment he knew where the kitsune had been hiding, she would demand to know if he had purposely caused her to hurt him. Truthfully, the blame would rest solely on her shoulders, since she had been careless enough to strike without checking the area for life, but he knew that somehow she would put some of the blame onto him. He had a gut feeling that told him to let the kitsune watch, let him hope to obtain what he already possessed, and delight in the fact that his female had eyes only for him.

However, his beast rose at the challenge, hissing and demanding that he shed blood. He had made it clear for all to stay away, for the miko would be his for as long as he wished it. Yet still the kitsune came to watch, hoping to find a way into the miko's barriers, and to her heart. He practically snorted at the idea, since one did not enter the miko's compassion because they wanted to, but because she allowed them to for various reasons. He was a perfect example, since he  _had not_  wanted to, yet still the girl had felt compelled to try and become his friend.

Her energy rose, sliding down from her fingers into a more solid form. His eyes returned to her when this happened, watching as she tested the waters, trying to release the acid underneath her claws as she kept her energy consistent. It leaked lightly from the tips, sliding down the whip a bit and then falling to the earth, where it tore away at the dirt and stone. Her lips set into a frown, her brow creasing as she concentrated completely on her task, the acid beginning to slide down in more abundance. It coated the energy whip nicely, creating a deadly combination of the two, even as the acid increased another level, beginning to overpower the energy she pumped into the weapon.

"Too much, miko," he reminded her, "will overpower your energy, and eventually you will end up with only an acid whip. The combination of the two is much more potent, as the poison feeds off your energy, and when it strikes your opponent, the energy leaks into their flesh along with the poison. It allows for a quicker kill, as your energy pumps the poison through their system faster."

The amount of acid released decreased from her fingers instantly, his words sinking into her head even as she concentrated. It coated over the energy just so, allowing her to  _feel_  the combination, feel the deadly power that shot from the end of her fingers. And once she had figured out the correct amount of acid to release onto the whip's length, it was not hard to maintain that amount as the energy and acid ate away at one another slowly. It was exhilarating, even as sweat formed along her brow, feeling the need for sleep start to crawl up her spine.

"That is enough."

Kagome barely registered the command, until Sesshoumaru's hand clamped about her wrist. He gave her a small glare, his look alone telling her that he was disappointed that she was trying to wear herself out before she could even control them together correctly. Her eyes lowered on instinct, feeling the need to whimper rise in her throat, but she quickly pushed it away the moment the first sound escaped her, Sesshoumaru's eyes catching hers. She bit her lip, cursing her beast for making her do so, since it was clear that Sesshoumaru had been caught off guard by the noise.

"Come, miko," Sesshoumaru finally stated, his eyes flickering to her lowered face once more. "We shall retire, for there is no more need to practice this night."

She looked up, catching sight of his back as he began to walk away from her. His hair swung down his back, and Kagome felt the need to ask him if what Sango said was true. Had he stopped her because he cared – because he was courting her? Or had he stopped her because she had been draining her energy faster than he saw needed? And that look he had given her the moment she whimpered, was that because he had caught onto her beast's need to please him? Or was it something more? She hated having all these questions rushing around in her head, but as he turned back to silently ask her if she was coming, she felt the words catch in her throat.

No, her pride would not allow her to simply ask him. She wanted to figure it out on her own, see how much she had learned. And, she wanted to be able to taunt him about it  _because_  she had managed to figure it out. God, it was terrible to have so many questions, but she wanted to be able to tease him – though, truthfully, it was rather embarrassing – about it once he knew she knew. But only once she was sure.

Besides, she doubted he would tell her even if she asked.

OoO

His ears twitched, swinging from side-to-side in order to catch the slightest sound. A smirk appeared on his face when he heard nothing, as his hand landed on the door to his left. His fingers quickly found the doorknob, and turned it swiftly, opening the door just the slightest bit. However, his eyes and ears continued to search, even in the silence, for any who might stop him from accomplishing what he wanted this night. Once the door had opened enough for him to slip through without making much noise, though, he turned his back, and prepared to go through the portal.

"Pray tell," an amused voice asked, "young Taisho, what you are doing?"

Inuyasha stalled, his head turning back around rapidly in order to see the headmistress standing behind him. Her intelligent gray eyes stared at him through the darkness, even as she folded her hands together and smiled. "I was just—"

Ivy shook her head lightly, laughter filling her eyes. "There is no need to lie, Mr. Taisho. I know full well that you were planning to go see the charming Kikyo. However, I wished to know why you planned to do so at this time of night? Should you not be in bed yourself?"

Inuyasha's ears tilted backwards, his eyes narrowing. He had never understood how this woman could be running an entire school when she rarely seemed to do anything at all, but he could see now that the jackal had a few tricks up her sleeve. Either that, or he had missed something that detected his presence along the way to his destination. "I don't see how that's any of yer business," he growled lightly.

The laughter in her eyes increased, as she said, "Anything and everything that happens within these walls is my business. Especially when I know there are hormonal hanyou running around in the night to see the face of the girl he has come to like."

"If you know so much," Inuyasha stopped himself from cursing, "then why don't you tell me why I'm out here?"

"I know perfectly well why," Ivy stated, "but I prefer when students are honest with me, Mr. Taisho. I do not like to pry into other personal issues if I can help it."

"Look, alright, I'll go," Inuyasha snarled.

Ivy shook her head, "Only to return again tomorrow night."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes some more, wondering how she knew that. There was more to this jackal than she let on, that was for sure. But how in the world did she know what he did nightly? How in the world did she know that he would try coming back again the next night in hopes that she would not be able to follow again? How in the world did she know anything when he rarely saw her, except when it was time to eat?

"You are so much like your father," Ivy chuckled. "And your brother—"

" _Half_ -brother," Inuyasha scowled.

She ignored him, continuing, "—might try to deny it, but he is very much like your father, as well. I often times caught him trying to sneak around in order to see the face of his precious. However, he did not do so as much as you have done, for he had often had her at his side, willing to take what he threw at her as long as she could remain there."

Inuyasha snorted, since Sesshoumaru's mother must have been very ignorant or very controlling. He had never known her, but from what his father often said, he was willing to bet it was the second one. After all, only a person who had absolute power over the Inu no Taisho could keep him from noticing the beauty of almost every woman surrounding him. Though, it was true that Sesshoumaru's mother had been his mate, and his had only found a way into his heart after she died. However, it was not hard to see the way his eyes often saddened when he caught sight of her picture somewhere in the house, his heart most likely reaching out for the woman he had first loved.

Ivy tilted her head, allowing her brown hair to fall over her shoulder. "Inuyasha, I do believe it is time you return to your dormitory and try to find another way to win the fair Kikyo's heart. Your father went to his love's side because he already had her love in return, but you go without that. Until you have won her heart, don't you think it is an injustice to her to take in her features when she is the least aware?"

Her eyes seemed to swirl, and though Inuyasha tried to fight it, he felt himself falling into whatever she had spun within the air. His lungs constricted for a moment, his brain focusing on only her words as she spoke softly. Kikyo's face soon entered afterward, horrified and dangerous, as he played out telling her how much he had loved to look upon her each night during school. He would lose her trust, everything, and the swirling in Ivy's eyes told him everything that he needed to know, everything that he wanted to know.

Ivy blinked, "Please go back to your dormitory, Mr. Taisho, and have a good night's rest. And remember, I am always watching, so it is best that you do not go wondering around the grounds at night."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha watched as the headmistress seemed to disappear in a sparkle of colors. It was almost like she shimmered out of existence, but he knew that she was still watching silently. However, a frown appeared on his face as he turned his attention to his hand, still wrapped around the doorknob leading to the drama girls sleeping quarters. Slowly, almost reluctantly, his hand slipped away after he shut it quietly.

Bringing his hand up to rub lightly at his temple, Inuyasha turned away, and began his trek out of the drama dormitory.

OoO

Haruki glanced up from his booklet, noticing that his brother was looking toward the library doors. He shook his head, returning his green eyes to the script before him. His mind replayed his scene over and over again, his memory reciting even Kanna's lines as he offered her an item that he could clearly see in his hands. At the moment he did not have time to worry about his brother's lack of attention to his music sheet, or his clarinet, for Kiko had made it quite clear that this production would be their finest once spring came around. He had no time to be distracted, not even by his brother.

However, Haruki's nose twitched when a sweet, metallic scent wafted up into his nose. His eyes closed in bliss, his memory imprinting the smell of blood further into his mind, as he told himself to shake it off. There was something about it, though, that caught his attention. He was not quite sure, but something behind that smell was familiar, so familiar that he remembered trying to steal it for himself, if even for a moment. And when that registered in his head, his eyes snapped over to his brother when he heard his chair scrapping against the floor, for he knew whose blood had been split.

"Where are you going, brother?" Haruki asked.

Akio looked back at his brother, and scowled a bit. "There is no need to worry, dear brother. I will return shortly. I simply need to check on something important."

"Perhaps, Akio," Haruki growled, "you have forgotten the promise we made."

"I have forgotten nothing," Akio replied. "But,  _perhaps_ , it is time you begin thinking more of yourself and less of me, dear brother."

"Then who would know when you are in poor health?" Haruki questioned, his green eyes piercing into his brother's back. He knew that the miko was enticing, for he had almost fallen into her trap himself, but he did not like the way his sweet, docile brother was changing. He had never known him to be anything more than the one to soothe a woman's fears when they decided they wanted her. Yet now, after that inu had interfered in their game, his brother was more forceful, more feral. It was only natural that the change caused him to worry for his brother's sanity.

Akio snorted, "Yumi, of course. You seem to forget, dear brother, that she is a healer. She will know when I am in  _poor_  health."

" _Akio_ ," Haruki snarled. "If you continue to play in this game, I will not pick you up when you fall."

"Then I shall not fall," Akio replied.

Haruki watched his brother retreat to the doors, and silently slip out into the corridor beyond. His eyes narrowed, for he knew that his brother was soft, no matter the crazed behavior that came upon him. His brother would fall without him - he knew that, because alone, he would not be able to stand up to the inu's might. And if he wished to go for a maiden's hand so desperately that he would risk tearing his own heart out, Haruki would not stop him, because he had already told him, silently, what a fool he was.

And he would only help his brother stand up again after he realized it, too.

OoO

Akio continued to scowl, his brother's words traveling through his head. He knew what he was doing – he was not going to lose to that damn inu. His brother might think that he was superior, but he was not. His brother might think that he was the better brother, but he was not. His brother might think that he could not get the woman of his dreams, but he was wrong. In fact, he knew that his brother thought many things that he was incorrect about, because his brother did not know him as well as he might think.

That was the reason that he was seeking out the maiden that had captured his heart with a single kiss. He had scented her blood on the air before his brother had, and had noticed the way his brother savored it as if he could not place it, but enjoyed the smell. His brother's senses were clearly inferior to his own, which was another reason that he deserved the miko more than he. He deserved her more than his brother, and more than that blasted inu that continued to stalk her without making his intentions clear.

His nose twitched, the scent of her blood growing thick in the air the more he moved. He was close, and his lungs inhaled a large amount to savor what would soon be his to feast upon for all eternity. After a moment, he could hear the sound of someone apologizing again and again, obviously having done something to cause the action. A growl worked its way into his throat, for whoever managed to mar his maiden's skin would pay. If it was one of her friends, she would soon see the reason behind his actions, and if it was that damned inu, he would deserve every mark he received in return.

Stepping closer, he heard the hiss that his maiden released from her throat, as she told her friend that it had been an accident. Akio narrowed his eyes at the sound of the inu growling low in his throat, displeased with the situation. He did not like the undertone that the inu was releasing, obviously enjoying his precious girl's pain – or at least the scent of her blood. The sound forced Akio's steps to become longer, finding himself displeased with the situation as much as the inu seemed to be. His blood began to pump faster, though, for though the inu refused to make his intentions clear to the miko, Akio knew them all too well.

"S-Sesshoumaru?" a voice squeaked.

Akio knew that it was not Kagome that spoke, but the shock in the voice was clear. His senses could already pick up the rise of youki from the miko, her beast coming to the surface in response to whatever the inu was doing. Then, after a few moments, he heard her speak, her voice strained.

"W-what are you doing, Sess—?"

"Be quiet, miko," the inu replied. "This Sesshoumaru does not wish to visit the Medical Wing again. So be still and allow me to heal you."

Akio's vision reddened with the words, picking up the heavy fight for control the inu was beginning to have. His beast was also rising to the surface in response to Kagome's, fighting in order to place claim on her once and for all. A snarl ripped through his throat, as he rounded a corner, his eyes locking onto the scene before him.

The inu had raised his maiden's hands once more to his lips, and swept his tongue out over the thick wound there. Only the best-trained ears would have heard the pleased sound that escaped his throat once he came in contact with her blood. Her friends, the neko, was standing off the side, a blush rising to her cheeks as she watched the inu close his eyes and continue his  _licking_. And his miko, his dear girl, was staring at the inu with clouded eyes, her lips parted slightly as she watched him. She was not doing anything to pull her hand away, simply standing there as the inu continue to  _heal_  her wound.

Akio felt another snarl rise into his throat, but before it could be released from his throat, he felt a hand snaked around his throat and pulled roughly. He tried to fight, but the grip was strong and sure, pulling him away from the maiden he wanted and the inu bastard that was slowly taking her from him. His hands reached up in order to grab at the hand surrounding his throat, slowly suffocating him, as he was dragged further and further away from the scene. Then, when he thought that perhaps he was going to die in a darkened corner without knowing who his attacker was because the bastard was masking their scent and aura, he was thrown into a wall nearby.

"Foolish brother," an easily recognized voice snarled at him.

Akio glanced at his brother, his eyes hinting at the betrayal he felt. "Brother?" he chocked. Haruki stood before him, a sneer on his face, disappointment in his eyes. However, the look on his face did nothing to stop the pain that he felt rise in his chest. His own brother had stopped him from claiming his precious maiden once and for all, or at least stopping the inu from trying to do thus. His own flesh and blood was  _trying_  to break his heart.

"You are going to break the promise you made to Yumi," Haruki spat. "You know how dishonorable it is to break a promise to another kitsune. But, you know how much more dishonorable it is to break a  _kitsune_  promise to one who is flesh and blood. Are you trying to get yourself thrown from this family completely? Is that what you want, Akio, to be disowned because you cannot keep yourself from wanting a miko?"

"Brother?" Akio asked again.

Haruki sneered again, and turned on his heel. "I shall not put up with this any longer. Should you break your promise to Yumi, should you try to interfere with the inu and the miko, I shall not stop her from punishing you. You are my brother, and I love you, but you are a fool for allowing such weak emotions to cloud your judgement."

Akio coughed, watching him as he walked away. However, his eyes narrowed a bit when he watched, seeing the flicker of magic in the air. His mind swirled, even as he tried to draw air back into his lungs. One thing was for sure, though, one thing that caused his rage to heighten.

 _That_  had not been Haruki.  _Someone_  was trying to stop him from getting his miko, but  _also_  trying to tear him from his dear brother. And that thought alone caused him to snarl into the emptiness of the corridor, his eyes flashing as he dug his claws into the floor beneath him. Whoever was trying to tear him from both his brother and the woman he wanted would pay; he would make sure of that.

They would pay dearly.

OoO

Kirara's eyes continued to widen, watching as Kagome sank further and further into herself as she watched Sesshoumaru lap slowly over the wound on her palm. Her hand rose to her face, covering her mouth slightly, as she watched them, because she could feel the rise in youki and holy energy that was swirling together. She told herself she should leave, even if she wanted to make sure that Kagome was all right after she accidentally caused her to scratch herself. There was no telling where the rise in energy could lead, especially not when Sesshoumaru was courting her friend and her friend was confused in her thoughts for him.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru managed to pull himself away from the sealed flesh underneath his tongue. He inhaled sharply, his nose trying to catch the scent of her blood in the air. His mouth watered, and even though he knew that he had probably just given himself away, he could not help but wish to reopen her wound and feast again on the blood that would pour forth. He had already had the taste of it, which was one reason he had not stopped himself from sealing the damage, but the reaction of his beast to the flavor again was phenomenal.

The beast rattled inside of him, wanting more of the blood that he knew he could forever feast upon. He had not paid much attention when he had lapped over her cheek, removing damage that he had dealt, but he had known that her blood was something to be savored. And now, now that he knew he was courting her, the flavor sang on his tongue, causing him to almost,  _almost_ , give into his beast's demand for more. The taste, the burn at the back of his throat, reminded him of exactly how much he had enjoyed tasting her blood for the first time, even though he had tried to convince himself that what he held for her was only affection.

However, the taste of her heated blood caused him to reach out once more. He wanted so much more, and even the smallest drops on her palm would be enough to state him for the moment.

Kagome had managed to pull herself back together rather quickly after he had moved away a bit from her hand. Her breathing, she knew, had picked up and she cursed herself for having reacted so strongly. Damn it, if he was not courting her, she did not want him to know that she was beginning to grow such strong feelings for him. And she still had not managed to figure out whether he was or not, since he was always so guarded, so closed off, though he gave away so much. But then, she became almost mesmerized again at the sight of his long tongue slipping from between his pale lips to lap at the closed welts on her palm.

Her beast purred, the sound uncontrollable as she stared at him, dragging his long, wet tongue over the disappearing welts on her hand. He sought out any and all blood left behind from the first try, and she felt her beast pushed against her to lightly catch his chin between her fingers and raise his face to kiss him. It wanted to submit to anything he wanted, wanted to prove that it would make a good mate to him, and please him however he wished to be pleased. And the more it pushed against her, the more she felt the need to do so, even if she knew he might take offence to her suddenly kissing the daylights out of him.

Her fingers twitched within his grasp, her world narrowing down to the pale lips that had allowed his tongue passage outside his body. She bit her own lip, feeling her fang slice into the flesh slightly, even as her power rose to heal the minor wound. The energy beneath her skin would have healed the wound on her hand, too, but she was rather glad that Sesshoumaru decided to do it for her, because the sensation rushing through her body was like nothing she had ever felt.

Sesshoumaru pulled away at the scent of her lust, rising thick into the air around him. A growl spilled from his throat, and he turned his head in order to control himself. His beast had slapped against him the moment she had released her full-blown scent into his nose, and he fought for control as it thrashed around. It wanted the miko, even if he was not sure  _how_  long he wished to have her. It wanted to keep her, to mate her, to spend the rest of its days by her side. It sounded much like a pup that had been tamed by the soft strokes of anyone, and that caused him to press it down forcefully.

He might be courting the miko to figure out how much he wanted to keep her, but no one would control him. He was the heir to the Western Lands; he was the one in control. No one but his father and future mate would ever be equal to him, and until he had decided whether this miko would be thus, she would not rule over him, his thoughts, or his beast. He would make  _sure_  of that.

"S-Sesshoumaru?" Kagome stuttered, feeling her beast quiver at the sound of his growl.

Kirara reached out, gripping Kagome's arm. "Kagome," she whispered, not thinking it safe at the moment.

The scent of her fear wafted up into his nose, and Sesshoumaru scowled, though he was glad his anger was swiftly stomped away. Turning away, he told himself to remain calm, even as his beast demanded he comfort the miko. The miko had not asked him outright if he was courting her, so he knew that she had yet to decide whether he was or not, though he friend had spelled it out to her quite nicely. However, that alone would keep him from becoming angry with her, because she did not know the control she had over him yet.

"If you are well enough to continue, it is best we continue to our destination, miko."

OoO

Katana glanced up, feeling the magic shift and decrease in the air around her. An eyebrow lifted when she saw Yumi's form shift back into existence from the form she had taken. "Isn't it a bit childish to take on the form of your siblings?" she asked.

Yumi smiled sadly, "My youngest brother would have gotten himself hurt. I did what I had to in order to pound into his head that he must listen to me for once in his life."

Katana nodded in understanding, "Youth often times does not understand the consequences of their actions."

"You know that all too well, don't you?" Yumi asked sadly.

"I believe, in a way, we all do," Katana smirked. "Besides, my past is dark and riddled with troubles. These children will never understand the challenges that someone my age would have had to face. And many times, that is what makes every generation different than the last."

"Yes," Yumi nodded. "However, my brothers' have depended on nothing but each other until the miko came between them. I have never seen them fight, and never seen them separated; yet she managed to make them do so. She has a marvelous soul, and I am happy that at least one of my brothers' learned to love, but whatever I can do to make them see that sometimes you must allow another to be happy in order to be happy yourself, I will do it."

"Yumi," Katana sighed, "I think the one with the marvelous soul is you."

"Thank you, my friend," Yumi smiled.

"Just remember not to hurt them too much," Katana replied. "After all, doing so might completely separate them from each other, and from you."

Yumi's smile faded, "That is the only thing I fear. If Akio cannot get past this, I might have to hurt him too much."


	24. Broken Promise

He put his head in his hand, his disheveled hair falling between his fingers at odd angles. He brushed it back, the orange mess barely staying in place once he pushed it to where he wanted it. However, though his mind remained fixed on his hair and appearance at a subconscious level, he had more pressing issues to think over. His appearance could wait, though he had been rather disappointed to find that his time in this place was beginning to wash away the black spots that had been dyed throughout the stands. And along with it went his darker, more feral look.

Akio glanced out the large window he had seated himself within; his black eyes watching the falling snow carefully. He knew instinctively that the snow would soon leave and the world outside the walls of the school would begin to change. That would not be for some weeks, though, and so he shifted his eyes away from the small, frozen particles twisting through the sky. They settled onto an area not far away, but obscured with foliage to the point that he could not see what lie within.

He knew, though, what treasure he could find through the trees.

Shifting his body, he turned away from the area below. He dismissed it without a word, though his mind screamed and his beast hissed darkly at the notion. He had been doing the same thing for the last three days, dismissing these tiny details as if they did not concern him in the slightest. They did, though. They rubbed against him roughly and taunted him with the fact that that blasted inu continued to keep his maiden for himself. But, Akio also knew that this time he must play the trickster. He must play a silent game of dismiss, while secretly wishing with all his heart that he did not have to do so.

And it was all Haruki's fault. His brother was as dear to him as air, but that made him a weakness. Akio's eyes shifted toward the darkness, because whoever had attacked him when he had gone to steal his fair maiden's heart from that blasted, lapping canine had known that as well. They had played on the fact that he loved his brother, he never wanted them to be completely parted, and he would have continued to think his brother betrayed his trust if he had not felt the shift of magic. But while this person knew that Haruki was one of the few ways to harm him, they could not know that he had felt the magic shift.

Akio was much more intelligent than most gave him credit for. Even Haruki often underestimated him. He might not have status and a title like that damn inu, but he was a master of his craft. He was a kitsune and he was not stupid enough to not notice the small flaw his attacker had had. So now he would play with this person, confuse them, and finally laugh once he had his maiden's heart within his grasp. Haruki might not even believe in him, he might think him a fool, but he would show them that only he was worthy of his Kagome's love.

Another whimper penetrated his soul. He had distanced himself from his maiden for three days and each day sent a burn of self-loathing through his system. His beast whimpered and pleaded, washing him thoroughly with despair, and he could already feel the change within his body. He was beginning to lack sleep, deter from daily routines, and he knew that he often times turned on his heel and went the other way when he caught sight of his brother. All of it pointed to the fact that he only wanted to submerge himself in Kagome's scent, her presence, yet still he denied himself the pleasure.

He smothered the wish his beast had, ignoring it to the point that he only felt the physical attributes that came with the want, the need. His nose would twitch and his claws would flex, but he ignored the need that burned beneath his flesh. He wanted his maiden's love, and he  _would_  have it, but he knew that he must get rid of what stood in his way. He must find the threat that had pretended to be his brother and rid himself of them, before finally going after what rightfully belonged to him. Akio had to, because he knew that such a threat could ruin his chance of capturing the fair maiden that had unknowingly captured him within her web.

Though, he snarled, that inu was still sniffing around her. He knew that with each day he gave him more of an opportunity to admit to his intentions toward her, and he knew that he was playing a very dangerous game. The inu, once he claimed her, would not back down so easily, and Akio knew he was fighting with himself at this point. Fighting to continue his game, as he would have done in the past, or going to rip the inu to shreds the moment he touched the flesh that should only ever be touched by him.

A smirk tugged at Akio's mouth, until the feral grin emerged among the darkness that surrounded him. It did not matter if the inu managed to suck up his pride and tell Kagome his intentions or not, because Akio would finish his work long before then. He would find the fool who had threatened his future and eliminate or trap them, before finally returning to claim the heart of the beautiful Kagome. The inu would never have a chance, because Akio knew that by separating himself from the woman his beast wanted, he was only pushing himself closer to the limit, and when it hit he would defeat the slobbering inu.

Yes, he would get rid of him. He would dig his claws into that pretty flesh and tear it apart until his maiden saw that the inu was an inferior species. He would laugh in his once beautiful face and tell him that he did not deserve his maiden's heart, before claiming her beneath his nose. He  _would_  win the war, though he had not won the battle, and once he had Kagome's heart and soul at his fingertips, he would show his brother that he had been wrong the entire time.

He was not a fool. He was merely in love. And that would make him more powerful than his brother could ever hope to be, because he knew Haruki's soul better than he did. He knew that his brother would forever be alone, discarding women and finding pleasure in the deepest of nights, but never finding satisfaction. He knew his brother would not find a mate like his maiden, and in the end he would prove that he had never been the weaker twin.

OoO

It was certainly the most interesting thing she had ever seen. She tapped her pen against her notebook, watching as the wind demoness leaned closer to the ookami. Sango leaned back a bit more, telling herself that she should be doing her homework, but she could not tear her eyes away from the way those two acted. It was a complete reversal to how she had seen them act at the beginning of the year, since Kagura had only wanted to gain Sesshoumaru's attention, and Kouga had only wanted to gain Kagome's. Now they looked like they could not keep their hands off one another, and Sango found it odd.

"Ah, Sango! My love," a charming voice called.

Sango scowled, turning her eyes toward the boy and allowed them to flash. The dark-haired boy paused, but then continued toward her until he had seated himself next to her. After having been ignored by him for the last couple of days, and because of a little red-haired trollop, Sango was not too happy with him. "And what is it you want, Miroku?"

Miroku ducked his head, smiling innocently, "I do not see the reason behind your tone, Sango. I merely came to speak with you, since Bankotsu and the others are currently occupied."

"So, I'm your back up plan?" Sango asked, her eyes narrowing.

Miroku reached up to grasp the area over his heart. He looked almost heartbroken, hearing such things come from his lovely Sango's mouth. He knew that often times he strayed away, but she would never be second best in his heart. "My dear Sango, I could never allow my girlfriend to be second best to anything. I have merely been away because I have had numerous assignments due within the last couple of days. Even teachers cannot be merciful on this pitiful soul," he sighed.

"Hn," Sango huffed. "Try explaining that girl then."

"Ayano?" Miroku asked.

"The one with red hair," Sango replied.

"Ah, yes," Miroku nodded. "That would be Ayano. I have had to work with her on a couple of assignments in a few classes because of the seating arrangements. She sits next to me in history and in science, and both teachers saw fit to merely make us work with the person beside us."

Amazing, really, that he had a reasonable excuse. Sango almost gaped at him, since she had expected him to go on about how he had had to save her from a vicious youkai that could not take a hint. If that had been the case, she would have asked him the reason he was not helping Kagome. And she probably would have gotten some excuse that he  _was_  helping Kagome, just not directly. However, she sighed, saying, "Alright, I'll give you that one. Now, what do you think is going on between those two?"

Miroku glanced up to where Sango had pointed, and frowned in thought. Then, slowly, he said, "It appears that they are enjoying the company of one another. Though it does seem a bit strange that the one that pinned over Sesshoumaru, and the one that pinned over Kagome, would suddenly come together. I can understand that their hearts have been broken, but to come together so quickly seems a bit unnatural."

"Exactly!" Sango almost yelled. She noticed that she caught the attention of several youkai, and a few ningen as well. "I'm glad that someone noticed. I asked Kirara what she thought, but she told me that she thought it was nice they had found someone. I think that there's something else going on. What about you?"

Miroku tilted his head, before bringing his hand up to scratch his chin. He replied, "It seems very likely that there is magic of some kind at work around them. I have noticed, in the hallways, that Kagura walks almost as if she has no purpose. She acts very much like she only wants to get life done and over with. And Kouga seems to have forgotten about Kagome completely. I mentioned her name around him once just to see his reaction, and he did not even bat an eye."

"Miroku, you're a genius," Sango smiled.

Miroku smiled back, saying, "Why thank you, Sango. I am happy to help whenever I am able, though there are a few other things that I would very much like to help you with." His hand twitched, moving silently, and when it met its destination, Sango tensed. He grinned innocently, watching as she turned blazing eyes upon him.

"Miroku…" she hissed.

"Yes?" he asked.

Sango did not yell. She did not scream. She stated quite calmly, "You're such a pervert." Then, without hesitation, she reared her hand back and smacked the back of his head. The strength behind her hand forced him from his perch, and he hit the ground, but she merely huffed. She gathered her things, stood, and went to walk away, even as he tried to rise and ask her to wait.

Silently, in her head, she muttered,  _damn, pervert. Damn, stupid pervert._

OoO

Sesshoumaru snuck another glance from the corner of his eye. The miko's head was still bowed, and he noticed that there was the faintest hint of a blush coating her cheeks. Pride swept through him, though he knew it had come from the beast that had pushed him to licking the blood form her palm. It was very pleased with the action he had finally taken; despite the fact that he had originally thought he would only want the miko as a short time plaything. The beast pressed those feelings onto him, forcing him to feel the pride and pleasure, and hoped that he would find time to take it a step further.

He almost wanted to snort, but restrained the urge. The beast might be apart of him, and it might have decided it wanted the miko, but it would not control him. If and when he decided to keep the miko forever would be under his terms, though he had no doubt the beast would push him into keeping her underneath his foot until then. In fact, from the way it growled and snarled at him, he was beginning to think that it would merely be a when factor. After all, if his beast could not or would not find another to hold its affection, he would be stuck with the miko no matter what.

He supposed that the situation had never truly been in his hands. The beast had always thought the miko had spark, a fire that it wanted to try and tame, and that was probably what first drew it toward her. That and the fact that she was a miko, which made it even more dangerous to be within her company should she decide she hated him. It was like her blood, a near forbidden nectar that many said youkai such as him should not have the priviledge of tasting. His beast had first let the miko grow on it, and then suddenly, when it realized she wanted them, it decided that it would have no other. That was the reason it fought him so much, because it refused to have another stand at their side, and it would do everything in its power to make sure that happened.

However, after a moment of listening to the beast continued to rattle within its cage, full of pride, but whimpering for him to take another taste, he returned his attention to the front of the class. Mr. Saru droned on about the play,  _Taming of the Shrew_ , by the ningen male, Shakespeare. The story reminded him a bit of the miko when he had first met her, since she had seemed uncontrollable and in control. He knew that there were small similarities, though, nothing major, because the miko was nothing like the ningen woman, Katherine, in the story. She was far too nice, and he doubted that she could go on for a lengthy amount of time using crude, sexual talk.

No, she would have blushed long before the end. Probably right after a male decided to say something like that to her. Then she probably would have gotten angry and slapped him, no matter how much she began to like him. Sesshoumaru was sure of it, though he was not exactly willing to try and see if his assumption was correct. He could do without the slap to the face, though there was no doubt in his mind that he could stop the attack before it reached him.

Yuki Saru appeared to shiver, and Sesshoumaru wondered once again why the teacher appeared so nervous all of the time. He was going on about how he would prefer to have them act out a few of the scenes, since Shakespeare's plays were meant to be seen not read, but Kiko would not allow him to use her stage. He twitched again, taking nervous glances out the window, and Sesshoumaru guessed that the older demon was merely apprehensive. After all, he was not a very powerful youkai from the look of things, so it was only natural that he would be fighting his basic instinct to run and hide. How long he would last, though, was entertaining to think about.

Subconsciously, Sesshoumaru tuned the teacher out once again. He looked at the miko from the corner of his eye once more, though he could have easily turned his head and stared at her back for a while. He had chosen his seat at the beginning of the year thinking he was getting as far away from the miko as he could, but it appeared that he had chosen it perhaps for another reason as well. He could see the side of Kagome's face with ease, which allowed him to watch her emotions change every second, and he could tell how she felt from her stumped form. He supposed that it could be because English was not her strong point, but after having been around her for so long, he knew it was because she was thinking far too much over nothing.

Pride swam through him again, though his beast whimpered at the fact that he was not seated beside her. The fact that she was probably thinking about the healing he had done to her hand pleased the beast beyond anything else, but also brought forth another thought. Even more pleasure raced into his veins, because the beast was also very pleased with the fact that by thinking about his actions, she did not have time to think about those blasted kitsune. As, the beast believed, it should be.

The miko should not think about anything other than himself, for he was the only one who could truly give her what she needed. The beast demanded that he give it to her, too, though he easily stomped it down and gained control once more. He might be the one who would give the miko what she needed, but the beast would  _not_  be the one to dictate when he gave it to her. And the only way the beast ever would, would be if Kagome's beast broke free and called forth his own to play, thus forming the bond that he was so sure the miko, or at least her beast, wanted now.

OoO

Kanna drifted through the movements, happiness floating through her body for a brief moment. She spoke, but never truly heard what came from her mouth. She gestured, but never truly knew what she was gesturing toward. The void that she was did not register many things, as it constantly sucked away the things that could make sure like so many others, and she was fine with that at the moment. She had gotten what she wanted, so there was no reason for her to care whether or not her mind could stay constant, or she could tell what movement her arm just made.

It had been so long since happiness, true happiness, had left a soft breeze within her hectic, moving mind. She could remember a time so long ago, when her father had been alive, but the gentle caress of happiness stopped her from drifting away and back again. Only the memory of her father stayed, smiling at her, before she let it go. Her mind was not made to keep a thought for so long, she would never get used to it, but she was glad to have a few precious moments in which she could think of her father without something else getting in the way. Making her forget what she wanted to remember.

A rumble shook through her mind, but the happiness tucked it away in a far corner. She heard the constant pounding, the screaming, of her sibling's soul, but she cared not at the moment. She cared not for what her sibling's soul was going through, because she was happy. A smile touched her face when it was supposed to, though for entirely different reasons than Kiko thought, and she mentally caressed Kagura's struggling soul. If she was happy, Kagura should be happy, but she did not care if she decided to try and ruin the moment.

Kagura's voice echoed into her mind, screaming once more for her to let her free. Her soul was in a state of despair still, crying over the fact the inu had cast her aside, but it wished to gaze upon him once more. At least through her own eyes. Kanna knew that was not a choice to make, though, for Kagura's soul was a vengeful one, and she would attack the miko chosen by the inu. Her anger had been bubbling inside her mirror, growing and prospering without some type of anchor to hold it down, and once released it would swarm out of the body without hesitation. Kagura would attack, she knew, and the inu would react in a negative way to his chosen being assaulted, thus destroying Kanna's happiness.

Kanna held fast to the glee that trickled through her. She remembered it from so long ago, when her father had been alive, and she did not wish for it to ever leave. Kagura's body, while under her control, was giving her that. She would be foolish to let it go, to put Kagura's soul back into her body, because then she would not be able to caress her mirror and feel such things again. She would not be able to watch as Kagura's body, under her control, did such sinful things with the ookami, who underneath the magic and the lies had a heart that bled. They were perfect with each other, and it brought Kanna joy to know that she had been the one to create such a scene.

Vaguely, she heard Kiko tell her to fix her stance, and did so without thought. She would remember it for later on, keep it tucked away next to her heart, and never make the same mistake again. She flowed through the motions with ease, never really knowing how she managed to do such a thing, and raised her hand toward the one that was to take it. She did not really see the male that took it, but continued to move through the steps as if she had been taking them all her life. This was her element, what she was best at, and it managed to make her happiness rise a bit more.

A sigh left her lips, as she cast her head to the side as instructed, before allowing herself to be led away. The sound of Kagura's screams bounced around in her head from the corner it had been tucked into, and subconsciously she reached down to pat the mirror at her side and silenced her. It appeared natural; something that the play required, and no one questioned it as she brought her hand up to sweep her white hair over her shoulder. However, she went nowhere without the mirror, so Kagura's voice rose up the moment her hand left her side.

The void child closed her eyes, allowing herself to be pulled from the stage until her next act, and tried to silence Kagura once more without contact with the mirror. She wished once more that her father had not died, that she had not killed him by staring into that mirror, but she had not been able to set him free. He had not been able to communicate with her, silently her only the silent message that she had done the right thing, and then he had left her alone. Her emotions had washed away, her mind retreating to dwell inside her body, and it was because of this fact that she could not control her power very well. Her father could have taught her, but he was dead.

The distant roar of someone's voice brought her out of her musing, and she glanced up to find Kiko congratulating her on another good performance. She replied without much thought, telling the drama teacher that she was happy to have showed a good example. Her own voice was a distant roar in her ears, almost like it was detached from the rest of her body, and she continued to move on instinct. Her mind did not truly know how to interact with others - it was mystery that she could not solve - yet her body mimicked the example of the perfect person. And it mimicked it to perfection, just like the actress she proved she was everyday.

OoO

"Yumi."

Yumi turned her head, casting her eyes over her brother when he stepped away from the shadows. She did not move away from the students beneath her hands, in need of her attention, but did lend him her ear. "Is there something of importance you needed, Haruki? Anything broken? Or are you simply ill, because you know that I don't have time to be distracted."

"It's Akio," Haruki growled. "I believe he has gone off the deep end. I found him skipping class earlier, mumbling about how he's in love, before he snarled at me and told me to leave him be."

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Yumi asked. She almost sighed, because she had been positive she had shown Akio what might happen to his life. He was tearing Haruki away from him, causing his own brother grief, yet still he wanted only to go after his own selfish desires. Yumi understood, she did, because she had been the same way once, but Haruki was the only thing Akio really had. She had been positive Haruki could snap him out of his obsession, but it appeared that she had been wrong.

"Anything," Haruki replied. "I will not help him unless he understands the idiocy he is showing. So you help him, Yumi, before he does something that you will no doubt regret."

Yumi's eyes flashed, and she turned to glare at him. Hissing, she said, "Don't try to push the responsibility onto my shoulders, Haruki. I might not have been around much while you were little, but I am still your elder. And, damn it, you will show me a little respect."

Haruki's green eyes darkened, as he spat, "Perhaps if you had been around more, this wouldn't be happening. I would, perhaps, show you respect if you had been around more. But no, Yumi, you had to follow that blasted ningen around with your tail between your legs, before coming here when he chose another. You didn't care about us, and I still don't think you do. But, he is your brother, Yumi. Help him. Heal him."

"He is your brother, too," Yumi snarled. "Get over your selfish pride, forget the words you said to him, and help him yourself if you're so worried. I have done my part – I tried to help him. If he wants to throw away his life over one little emotion then let him learn his lesson, or help him."

"Yumi," Haruki whispered, his voice soft.

"I will not bail you out at every turn," Yumi continued. She wrapped the bandage around the arm of the youkai she was treating, her fingers using a gentle touch that did not reach her voice. "I have worked here for years after our parents died in order to keep you two together. I learned my lesson. I have made sure that you were not separated; yet all you can do is complain that your brother is beginning to drift away from you. If you care so much, then do something about it, instead of trying to make me do it when you've decided you've had enough."

Haruki was confused. He had never known Yumi to show such a temper. His sister was always so calm, so ready to help people after she had lost her true love to the curse of humanity. She befriended almost anyone, and she always sent them money to make sure they were well fed and cared for after she heard their parents were gone. But he had never seen her show such a temper, her eyes blazing with a silent fury, before it faded away in a tiny glimmer behind her eyes.

Yumi sighed, tightened the bandage in place, and then stepped toward her brother. Her eyes were soft, caring, and the elder kitsune wrapped her arms around the younger's shoulders, pulling him close. She rested her head on top of his own, allowing a few random tears to glide down her face, while she rocked him close to her heart. "Forgive me, Haruki," she muttered. "I do not want Akio to be hurt, either, but I am beginning to fear that that is the only way we will have our sweet little brother returned to us."

Haruki's serious face turned into a frown, and he leaned into his sister's warmth. Her soothing aura wrapped around him, caressed him, and he felt his worry begin to fade away. The kitsune magic seeped into his bones and he began to feel better, despite the fact that his brother was making such a foolish mistake. The miko was only a female, a special female, but only a female. There were plenty of females that would be worthy of holding his brother's heart, yet he could not see that, and unfortunately it was hurting him in a way Haruki never wanted to see Akio harmed.

"Sometimes things must play out, no matter how much we wish that we could put a stop to it," Yumi continued. "And I'm afraid that is what we need to do with Akio. He will be hurt, his heart broken, but he will understand that he cannot have Kagome. And then he will seek you out for comfort, Haruki. You need only to be there to catch him, that's all." She petted his orange hair down, running her fingers through the white streaks he had dyed there. "That's all."

OoO

Kagome stretched her hand out, grabbing ahold of the tiny, glowing ball that Professor Katana had given her to use. She brought it closer to her piece of paper, though she was not really paying much attention to the work that she was supposed to be doing. She had only asked for the glowing ball because Sesshoumaru had a tendency to drag her into the darkest part of the training grounds at night, and then leave her when he had to go do something or set something else up. It gave her a small amount of time in order to get something else done, but even her superior sight was strained without some hint of light nearby.

Kagome sighed after a moment, because she did not want to work on her homework at the moment, even if it was due the next day. Her mind continued to retraced its steps to the moment that she had watched Sesshoumaru's long, wet tongue slip from between his pale lips. A shiver ran through her body as she recalled it, especially the way it had felt to have his tongue sliding across the palm of her hand. Her beast purred at the memory, delighted to know that the male it wanted had done such a thing, had gotten so close.

She bit her lip, placing her hand over the glowing ball to stop the light for a moment. Her eyes looked upward, gazing beyond the treetops toward the stars, and she felt at peace. A strange kind of peace, but it was peaceful and she enjoyed it to the point that she wanted to feel it again. But that meant trying to do something without Sesshoumaru's knowing, and that inu seemed to know everything. Besides, she doubted that every time she cut open her hand he would see it as an accident and try to heal it in the same manner.

No matter how desperately her beast wished it so.

Then again, she also was not into the whole idea of inflicting pain on herself just to get him closer to her. To perhaps one day actually snag his chin between her fingers, capture his lips, and see what he truly tasted like. Her body tingled with the idea, though she had already told herself many times that she was  _not_  going to inflict pain on herself for such a purpose. Her beast disagreed with her decision, snorting and snarling about how it did not matter as long as he was there, but she stood firm on her belief. It was one thing her beast would not change, no matter how much it whined and snapped at her because of it.

The sound of a twig snapping startled her out of her thoughts, and Kagome jumped a bit. She turned quickly, her eyes searching the area behind her. Her nose twitched, taking in the different scents surrounding her, searching in order to make sure it was not Sesshoumaru come to attack her,  _again_. He had already done it once, she was sure that he would try again if he felt her body was not trained well enough in detecting others. She almost cursed herself for having gotten so caught up in her thoughts, since she should have sensed the person long before they stepped into the area, but what she saw was not what she expected at all.

The glow of the ball within her hand leaked out just enough to give her the faintest hint of his features. Her lips opened in a single gasp, wondering what had happened to the pristine, and well-groomed kitsune that she had seen less than a week ago. Yes, his hair had not seemed quite so pretty, but she did not expect for him to change within such a small amount of time. She almost choked on his name, "A-Akio?"

The kitsune stepped closer to her, his black eyes appearing to be twin pits of nothingness. There was a thin trace of dirt on the left side of his face, almost like he had been lying on a floor somewhere, and his beautiful hair fell into his right eye, showing off the mess it had become. His clothing was rumpled, covered in dirt, and he looked like he had been wearing the same thing since the last time she had seen him. She almost wanted to cry at how insane he appeared, because there was a twisted, pleased smile tugging at his lips.

" _Hello_ , beautiful maiden," he said. His voice sounded rough, as if he had not used it for the last couple of days. Yet there was a hint of darkness beneath his tone, grinding against the smooth sound that she had heard come from his mouth. His eyes flashed crimson for a second, and from what she knew of youkai, Kagome guessed that he was on the verge of losing all control.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly. She did not wish to startle him, just in case she was correct about him being so close to losing control of himself. She did not wish to bring the wrath of his beast upon her, and she was positive that if it came forth something bad would happen. Most likely it would pounce on her, claws trying to rip into her for a multitude of different reasons.

"Oh yes, I am  _quite_  fine," Akio replied. His smile faded away for a single moment, before the twisted smile reappeared on his face. His beast crackled underneath his flesh, roaring in pleasure at what it knew was about to come, and he allowed it to leak forth a bit more. They were one in the truest sense of the word, and he knew that all the self-loathing and hatred he had bombarded onto himself would help him win the war.  _Yes_ , and then the miko would be his, finally – her love, her heart, and her body would be his, he was sure of it.

She shook her head, saying, "You don't look well, Akio. I think that you should go see Yumi in the Medical Wing. She'll be able to tell you what's wrong, I'm sure of it."

He took another step forward, a soft, insane keening escaping his lips. He chuckled at the little miko's worry, because his mate should be worried about him, just not for this reason. He was not sick. So, he stated, " _No_ , I am  _quite_  well. Thank you, though. I am so  _glad_  that my beautiful maiden is  _showing_  signs of worry for me. But I have no need for  _Yumi_. I only have need for  _you_."

"Me?" Kagome gulped. She did not like the sound of that. Especially after she had noticed that every few words Akio seemed to growl out what he was saying, struggling with speech. He looked like he was trying to revert to the ancient language of kitsune, yet wished to continue speaking with her in a language she would understand. "What in the world would you need with me?"

"Oh, a  _lot_ , my dear maiden," Akio cooed. " _A lot_."

Kagome stood almost the same moment Akio moved. His claws spread wide, his eyes staring into hers and nearly paralyzing her on sight. Her schoolwork hit the ground with a thump, and she barely had time to grab ahold of one of his arms as he landed on top of her. She tumbled back from him, and he pressed his weight into her, forcing her to the ground. The wind was forced from her lungs when she hit the ground, the kitsune settled over her body, and instantly she heard her beast snarl at the danger he presented.

The part of her that felt safe in his presence, that wanted to be near him, was distant and almost nonexistent. She did not understand why it did not surface at that moment, but she supposed that her wish to save herself might have overcome the feeling that he had once brought forth within her.

So, she snarled, and allowed the poison within her claws to leak out and into his flesh. However, he did not seem phased in the least by the toxic material entering his body and coating his insides. She pressed her claws deeper into his arms, bringing her foot up in order to try and catch him in the stomach. His lower body held her down, though, and she was forced to rely completely on her claws and fangs.

Akio leaned in close, and she did not want to hurt him, but on instinct she snapped her razor sharp fangs at his throat. The kitsune leaned back, his eyes flashing in displeasure, before he brought up a hand to grab ahold of her chin. He tilted her head back, though Kagome continued to snarl at the treatment, and ignored the poison rushing throughout his system. It was not potent enough to kill him, Kagome knew that, but she had made sure that it was enough to immobilize him, which confused her.

How had he moved after she pumped so much into his body? Was it because his beast was nearly in control and continued to pump more energy into his body? Or was he immune to poison like Sesshoumaru? If that were the case, then why did he not smell like he was coated in the sweet scent of it from the mere fact it traveled underneath his skin?

"Now,  _now_ ," Akio hissed. "There is  _no_  need to get  _testy_. I'll make sure you  _like_  it."

She snarled louder, her lip lifting in displeasure. Her eyes began to shine crimson in the darkness, her beast coming to the front in order to protect her body from his assault. More of the acidic poison pumping through her veins rushed from the tips of her claws and entered him, while her energy began to dance about her body.

Akio whimpered, displeased with the reaction his beautiful maiden was showing toward him. He did not want such a thing – only her love and acceptance. He was positive he could get it from her, yet she continued to struggle and be so naughty. He did not understand, even as he whispered, " _Love_  me,  _Kagome_. Love me."

He leaned in again, his beast excited with the thought of tasting her sweet little mouth once more. It did not really care if she wanted it or not, as long as it got what it wanted. Akio did not wish to play that game, he did not, but he was pressed down further by the beast's wishes. It wanted to taste the little miko's mouth, despite the fact that she was snarling and looked ready to bite off his tongue, and it was determined to get what it wanted. So, he leaned in, and just when his lips were about to meet her own, he heard another vicious snarl from behind him.

Kagome bucked upon his distraction, watching through a red haze as the kitsune turned his head quick enough to watch the white blur hit him full force. Upon looking up to see the inu standing over her, hair whipping about with his energy, and claws twitching to tear into the kitsune's flesh, Kagome's beast retreated. It knew that the male it wanted was there to protect it, and it would not interfere with the battle. So, to make sure that he understood, it nudged the control of their body back into the hands of its master and slid back into the cage it normally resided within.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered once she regained control. She brought her hand to her chest, and watched him as he slid his flashing eyes over her body. He seemed to decide she had not received any damage before returning his sight to the kitsune rising to his feet not far away.

"How  _dare_  you," Akio snarled. He lifted his eyes, completely drained of coherent thought, and locked them onto the inu that dared interfere. "She is  _mine_."

Sesshoumaru's eyes turned a solid crimson, as he snarled, "No. The miko is  _mine_."

Kagome's heart soared, while her beast howled with pleasure.

" _Damned_  dog," Akio roared. His eyes swirled, every crevice turning blood red. His claws twitched at his side, magic began to leak from his skin, and he felt himself drifting away as his beast took complete hold of his body. His face began to lengthen, becoming more animalistic in appearance, and orange fur formed along his skin. However, he did not anticipate the inu's speed when he made the first move, and nearly choked when the strong, sure claws wrapped around his neck.

Sesshoumaru lifted the wriggling kitsune into the air, a snarl leaving his lips. Energy swam around his body, his anger whipping out in physical form, and he was almost surprised with his own response. However, he did not allow it to deter him as he began to squeeze the life from the kitsune's throat. The bastard tried to claw into his arm, thinking that such a minor thing would stop him, but he merely tightened his fingers. The kitsune's face, distorted and becoming ugly, began to turn a light shade of blue within minutes, and his eyes opened to glare down upon him.

Kagome wanted to run to him, tell him to stop before Akio managed to severe his arm, but her body would not move. Her beast snarled at her, telling her silently that she was not to interfere in such a battle, but she desperately wanted to make sure he was all right. He had just said something that sent both her and her beast into a state of near bliss, but she never wanted to see him hurt. Whether as her friend or more, she  _never_  wanted to see him hurt. But she just could not make her body move.

Sesshoumaru snarled again in the kitsune's face, saying, " _Never_  mistake this, kitsune. You may think what you will, but the miko is  _mine_." He watched as the youkai struggling in his grasp began to lose his fight, his eyes beginning to swirl back into the black orbs that they had originally been. His breath was leaving him, he was unable to breathe, and Sesshoumaru had no doubt that it would only be a few more minutes before his mind shut down.

Akio opened his mouth to speak, to say one last thing, but he was unable to with his heavy tongue and the lack of oxygen. His grip began to slacken from the inu's wrist, and he saw black spots filling his vision. The world became smaller bit-by-bit, until he felt like he was falling into the flashing gaze of the inu holding him. Then, without a word, Akio felt himself fall into blackness and the world disappeared completely.

Releasing his hold, Sesshoumaru allowed the blasted kitsune to hit the ground. His body crumbled at his feet, but he did not take notice of that as he turned his attention to the second kitsune moving from the trees. He snarled, preparing for another fight, as he watched the second kitsune raise his hands in submission. He lowered himself enough to make himself appear less of a threat, before continuing on his move toward the kitsune at his feet. Sesshoumaru snorted at him when he reached him, watching as the second kitsune smoothed down the first's hair, before lifting him into his arms. He never turned away, his eyes watching him, but eventually the twins disappeared from sight.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru felt his body come back under his control. His anger began to dissipate knowing that he had won; he had proven to that blasted kitsune that he was superior. His eyes lost their red haze, and he relaxed a bit realizing that there was no reason to fight now.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He turned his head toward her, indicating that he had heard, before turning to walk away. There was no reason to explain himself, the miko had heard his words, and he felt no need to speak at the moment. It had been quite some time since he had used that much energy on one so weak, especially when it was not necessary, and he realized that he might have to think over his decision on waiting to keep Kagome. His beast had reacted violently, to the point that he could have easily ended up killing, and he knew that her being in such a problem had been the cause.

So, as he began to walk away, he said, "That will be all for tonight, Kagome."

Kagome watched him leave, realizing that in a rare occasion, Sesshoumaru had called her by her name. And she was happy because of that.


	25. Completing the Deal

"So, he admitted it?" Sango asked.

Kirara glanced between them. When she had first met Kagome, she had seemed like the type that would become angry over the fact that someone had claimed her as property, but she did not appear all that mad. She almost looked like she was overflowing with glee, but Kirara guessed that it was because of the beast that was now roaming inside of her. No doubt it wanted the inu so badly that it was pressing down Kagome's rational need to tell him that she belonged to no one, thus allowing the feelings of happiness to flow freely.

"Well, no," Kagome sighed. "He walked away afterward, like he didn't want to talk to me, but wanted to think for a while. I tried to talk to him this morning, too, but he ignored me."

"But he did say that you belonged to him, right?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded, saying, "He did."

"Well, that settles it. I was right," Sango replied. "Sesshoumaru is courting you, like I said. But there is one thing bothering me."

"What's that?" Kirara questioned her.

"Why aren't you angry, Kagome?" Sango blinked, looking at the girl across from her. "You got really pissed off and started pushing that Kouga guy away when he said you were going to be his woman. And I saw how angry you were the day after Kouga got sent to the Medical Wing. You usually fly off the deep end when someone tells you that you belong to them, yet you don't even look angry."

Kirara nodded in agreement. She said, "I have noticed, too. I smelled the kitsune twins on you the day after Kouga was sent to be healed, and you were rather angry for a while. Yet you are not angry with Sesshoumaru at all."

Kagome's eyes misted over in thought, while she rested her head in her hand. Looking at the white top of the table, she wondered over the same thing. She really could not explain the reason that she was not angry. She just felt that a part of her soared with the thought of belonging to Sesshoumaru, probably her beast, and it flooded throughout the rest of her body. It was not just her beast, though; it was another part of her. A part of her that wanted to blush, act like a schoolgirl, and become giddy with the fact that such a powerful, beautiful youkai wanted more from her than just friendship. Everyone she had ever wanted more than friendship from had never wanted to give it to her, yet he seemed to, and that part of her wanted to grab ahold of that fact and never let it go.

Sango gave Kirara a knowing look, while the neko youkai blinked at the expression passing across Kagome's face. "You know," Sango sang, "it looks like somebody's in love!"

Kagome's face reddened as she gasped, "No I'm not!"

Sango blinked, giving her a slow grin. Then, she replied, "Who said I was talking about you? I meant them." Sango pointed behind Kagome, toward a pair of older students that had wrapped themselves around one another. She always saw the older students doing that, and it was odd, considering the fact they normally ignored mostly everything but other older students and their partner. Sango was beginning to think this whole partner thing was a lot more complicated than she had originally thought, though.

She frowned, her forehead creasing as a slight pain raced through her head. She sensed the magic within the school wash over her, and the pain was gone, but along with it went her thoughts. Sango blinked rapidly, trying and failing to catch ahold of her previous thought and allow it to fill her blank mind once more. She managed to laugh, despite the faint pain that had pierced her head when she tried. Considering her headache, she pushed it aside and decided it was not that important after all.

"Oh," Kagome said softly. Now she just felt stupid. Though, from the twinkle in her friend's eye, she was pretty sure that there had been a double meaning to her words. Again she wondered when her friend, or perhaps all of her friends, began to change. Sango seemed less violent, less serious all the time, and Kagome had noticed that she was smiling a lot more. It was nice, though she often wondered what happened to the girl that gave battle cries and walloped Miroku upside the head everyday. But she supposed that it was still in there somewhere, since she had seen Sango beating up on a few people during their training session under the watchful eye of Professor Katana on occasion.

"Why are you so jumpy, Kagome?" Sango asked. "Did you think I was talking about you?"

"No!"

Kirara brought a hand up, giggling behind the protection it gave. The miko was bright red, shaking her head, and trying to deny Sango's suggestion. "I think that she did," she said, watching as the miko nearly cried. "It is written all over her. I can smell it quite well within her scent, Sango."

"Kirara, you traitor!" Kagome exclaimed. "How could you do this to me?"

"I was merely making an observation," Kirara told her. "And I only wanted to tell you because he's coming this way."

"What?" Kagome jumped, turning her head in the direction that Kirara had pointed. Seeing nothing, her eyes narrowed, and she turned back to find the other two girls within a fit of giggles. She glared at them, mainly Kirara, before saying, "You are a mean, mean youkai, Kirara."

Sango huffed, "Oh, don't get mad. She was only making a joke, Kagome."

Kagome flushed red again, saying, "Well, I didn't think it was so funny."

"Of course you didn't," Sango replied. "You were the one submitted to the joke, and I have to admit it was a little cruel. But you'll get over it, won't you, Kagome?"

Appearing as if she was thinking about it, Kagome tapped her finger against her lip. She wondered how apprehensive they were getting, since Kirara's face fell, and she began playing with a strand of her hair. Sango looked stiff, out of her element, but she seemed to know that she would eventually give in. Sango always did know too much about her, but then she did know more about Sango than she sometimes needed to.

A bit of red colored Kirara's cheeks, while she reverted back to her shy nature. She whispered, "I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to make you angry with me."

Feeling bad, Kagome cried, "Don't feel that way, Kirara! I'm not angry, I swear!"

"Really?" Kirara asked.

"Yeah, I forgive you," Kagome sighed.

"Alright," Sango coughed. "Let us get back to the original topic. Sesshoumaru  _is_  courting Kagome, just like I said—"

"Don't rub it in too much," Kagome muttered.

"—Now, the question is, what are  _we_  going to do about it?" Sango finished her thought. She had heard what Kagome said, but she was going to rub it in as much as she wanted. Kagome had looked so hopeful, but the girl had not had enough backbone to just ask him. Of course, Sesshoumaru was a good looking youkai – he was definitely off her list since Kagome liked him, though – so she supposed that her friend just felt embarrassed. Perfectly understandable, but she  _still_  should have believed her.

"We?" Kagome asked.

"I really think that this is Kagome's problem, Sango," Kirara said. "She should probably be the one to figure out what to do. Her beast already wants him, from what I understand, and his wants her, but you can't force someone to admit their feelings."

Sango frowned, stating, "Look. Kagome  _is_  in love." She raised her hand, stopping Kagome's protest, before continuing. "No matter how many times Kagome tries to deny it, she  _is_  in love. I can see it, just like I recognized the fact that Sesshoumaru was courting her. She just doesn't realize it yet, so she is going to need our help. Especially since we're dealing with an extremely stubborn taiyoukai heir that will probably deny he wants anything to do with her until the end of time. We've got to do something, or this is never going to happen!"

Kagome looked confused, while she asked, "Who are you?"

Sango blinked, asking, "What are you talking about?"

"No," Kagome blinked back, "seriously. Who are you and what have you done with my friend?"

Sango's eyebrow twitched.

Kirara glanced between them, her red eyes blinking as she did so. She almost laughed again, though, when Sango put her head into her hand and sighed deeply. Apparently this was going to be a lot harder than she had thought, but Kirara stood with her opinion. She believed that if Sesshoumaru truly wanted Kagome, he would eventually ask her if he could court her properly, and she should not interfere with that. Yes, Kagome was her friend, but her instincts told her that if this was supposed to work, it would.

That was good enough for her.

OoO

Kanna turned, a small puff of breath leaving her mouth as she looked up at the male standing next to her. She blinked, her black eyes staring at him blankly. Distantly, she heard herself ask, "Is there something I can help you with?"

The male smiled pleasantly, but Kanna was not one to care about such things. She did not care about anything, really, and had not cared for a very long time. Since the time when she followed her father around, because it was then that she truly saw the color of the world and took notice of it. However, as if his voice echoed into her ears, he said, "I'm Suikotsu. I was wondering if you could help me a bit with my lines? You're the best performer I've ever seen, and I was just hoping it might rub off a bit."

There was a dash of color on his cheeks, staining them until they appeared darker than the rest of him. She blinked a bit, her face unmoving as she moved to speak. She cared not what she told him, what she said, but she found it was polite to reply when someone asked so nicely. She was strange to them, and though she did not care, she knew it was not best to draw more attention to herself. "I am Kanna. But I am afraid I cannot help you, I have many things that I must finish tonight."

A flicker went through his eyes, and she wondered for a moment if perhaps there was more than the sweet boy speaking. However, Kanna did not really notice, because a wash of happiness went through her when her hands fell upon her mirror. Kagura lay there, pounding at the glass and crying out to her, but her body was doing as she wished of it. That was all Kanna cared about.

"Oh," Suikotsu said. There was a dangerous undertone to his voice, as if something lurked beneath the surface. Kanna took a faint notice of this, but knew that the boy would not get by her defenses. She fingered her mirror, even as he continued to speak. "Well, maybe we can try to get together some other time?"

He sounded so hopeful, but Kanna denied him again. She had no time for him. Only her constantly changing thoughts and the chance to gaze into her mirror, watching her sister's body with her new lover. In truth, she had no time for those things either, though it was true that as a void, she had time for everything. "No," she said. "I do not have time."

His eyes darkened considerably, but Kanna merely blinked in disinterest. His voice deepened until the danger was clearly present. Kanna did not care for such a thing, she was not frightened, and she trailed her fingers over her mirror. It would protect her, just as her father had protected her fragile existence so long ago. Now was not the time for such thoughts, she knew, but she missed the time in which she followed in the footsteps of her father. She missed him.

"So," Suikotsu said, "though everyone in the drama department has said you do  _nothing_  outside of this stage, you have no time for me?" Marks of green began to show on his face, and Kanna felt the slight rise of youki in the air. However, she feared no ningen and no youkai, and there was no reason that she should fear him. "You can't even help me a bit? You'd rather sit around looking into that stupid mirror of yours, gazing at something that only you can see, rather then spend a little time  _helping_  me?"

"Yes," Kanna droned. Her voice, even now, seemed separated from her. She could barely hear what she spoke, but she knew without a doubt that she was doing as she always did. She blended in with ease, if only this boy would understand that she wished nothing to do with him. She only wished to gaze into her mirror, stop her constantly moving thoughts, and watch as she manipulated her sister's body to do her bidding once more. That was all she wanted, could he not see?

"You're a bitch," Suikotsu snarled. "A black hearted bitch."

"You're wrong," Kanna replied. Something about the words that had fallen from his mouth perked her to attention. Her voice drew closer, as if they were almost one and the same, and she wanted to correct him. She was not what he stated because she was nothing, she would always be nothing, and she had been nothing since the time when she followed her father around so happily.

"Oh?" Suikotsu smirked cruelly. Kanna neither cared nor acknowledged the appearance of his face. "What are you then?"

Kanna slid the mirror from her side, and held it between both hands as she allowed the boy to stare into the inky depths. She felt Kagura behind the glass, trying to escape the best she could, but Kanna held her soul in check. She would not allow her happiness to slip away. Twisting the mirror lightly in her grip, Kanna told Suikotsu, "I am a void. A black abyss that does not feel, but simply exists."

Suikotsu did not reply, though, as Kanna knew he would. His soul was already within the mirror, locked away where it would not bother her again. She eyed his body for a moment, before turning on her heel to walk away. She had no use for the body at the moment, but soon she would find some type of use for it. After all, she was sure that his beauty could bring her joy in some form.

OoO

Sesshoumaru scoffed at himself once more, watching the miko as she drove her acid whip deep into the target that Professor Katana wished her to strike. The black inuyoukai congratulated her on the job well done after watching the whip hit the target and sail through the other side with ease. Only a hole remained in the target once she allowed the whip to dissipate, exactly as Professor Katana had instructed, though the hole was a bit off center. After the miko performed her feat, he returned his eyes to his own target when she glanced toward him, ignoring the hopeful eyes that she cast in his direction.

He had been ignoring her curious glances all day. He refused to explain himself to her, because he was the heir of the Western Lands and he explained nothing to anyone. Besides, he could bet that her beast knew full well of his intentions because of his words, so she should be rejoicing. She probably was, too, silently, and he almost congratulated her on keeping her mouth shut. After all, most women, whether ningen or youkai, would have told the world that he had chosen them, stating they were his own, instead of saying nothing of the event.

Kagome certainly earned points for that.

At the moment he did not wish to have people questioning his actions. He did not wish to have anyone asking him the reason he had chosen a being beneath him, or someone that could easily purify him, or when he planned to make the whole thing official. He had no wish to explain anything, to answer any questions, and for that he was glad the miko had yet to say anything about it. She was keeping quiet, making sure he did not have to talk about it, and at the moment he was very pleased with that.

He was just so confused. Sesshoumaru had known his beast wanted the miko, he had accepted that, but he did not like how easily it had leaked forth to defend her. He always had control. He never submitted to his baser instincts or allowed the beast to completely rule his body. Yet still the animal had managed to cut through his chains, rise to the surface, and go after the male that had threatened his claim on his female. Yes, it was true that the beast should rise to rid the world of rivals, but it should not have been able to do so with such ease.

Did he ever have full control? Or had he had only the illusion of holding the beast down so well? They were questions he could not answer, and his beast certainly was not helping, only whimpering over the fact that he was not near Kagome. He wanted them answered, though, more than he wanted anything answered. Especially since he had been so sure that he had had completely control before he had met the miko. And perhaps  _that_  event was the reason that he had become soft enough to allow the miko into his life to the point he wanted her.

Wanted her more than anything.

The image of that blasted kitsune streaked across his mind once more, taunting him with the fact that there were other males that wanted his female. He growled, taking out his anger on the target before him, barely noticing the glance that Professor Katana cast toward him. He would not allow another to come into such close contact with his female again, though he briefly wondered when he had gone from trying to get the miko suspended to trying to keep her. The thought was not important to Sesshoumaru, however, as he struck down another target.

No male would come between him and his female. The miko was his, and he was beginning to know that he would not be able to get rid of her. There would be no  _until_ , as he had continued to fool himself with. There would simply be him and his female, together, as he knew they should be. No one would stand between them, and if anyone tried as the kitsune had, he would strike them down without a second glance.

Kagome was looking at him again, he noted. However, he kept his gaze away from hers, because he knew that he would only find curiosity, wonder, hope, and a question in her eyes. He would not explain his actions to her or anyone, because there was nothing to explain. He had claimed her, and she would be his. She should already know that, just as everyone else would soon know that, and she should not have to look toward him for that answer. And if she did, he would allow her to wallow in her thoughts a bit longer, because she  _should_  know.

If she did not, it would be a good lesson for her.

OoO

She narrowed her eyes, before she took an instinctive step backward. Kikyo never removed her eyes from the boy before her, knowing from a brush of her energy that something had changed with him. She could not pinpoint the exact problem, but she knew that it was something that had altered him to the point she did not want to stand in his presence alone.

Unfortunately, though, she already was.

"Hello, Kikyo," he smiled pleasantly.

Kikyo was not fooled by the sweetness of his voice, as she allowed her miko energy to lash out at him. It was enough to hurt the minuscule amount of youkai blood she knew rushed through his veins, but enough to shock him a bit. He halted in his pursuit of her when he felt it, but the gleam in his eyes increased. "Suikotsu."

He laughed, obviously amused with something that she had done. Then, he replied, "There's no reason to play around, Kikyo. I came here to study with you, as we planned. After all, we can't procrastinate until the very last minute."

"I highly doubt that is the reason you're here," Kikyo spat. "You cannot lie to me and expect to get away with it."

Suikotsu looked confused, as he said, "I am not lying."

Kikyo did not understand. She had felt his lie as clear as day, yet she knew he was not lying now. Her eyes narrowed further, as she extended her power again, trying to determine if she had felt correctly the second time. Her energy had not been wrong, because he had not lied, but there was something else that caused Kikyo to take another step backward. Something that she should have felt, but found was missing when she brushed her energy against him again.

"Is something wrong, Kikyo?" Suikotsu asked. "You look rather pale."

"Your… your soul," Kikyo whispered. Her energy swarmed around her, trying to push him away as he moved forward once more. It did nothing to him, because she only put enough miko energy into the attack to shock his youkai blood. Any more would cause him injury, and Kikyo was not one to break the rules.

Suikotsu's eyes narrowed in question, before he asked, "What about my soul?"

Kikyo could not choke out the words. She had never felt a being that did not have their soul, and it chilled her from the inside out. The nothingness seemed to strike out at her through her own energy, drilling into her body straight to her heart. The very feel of it caused her heart to beat wildly in her chest, and her breathing to pick up, though she could not lift her feet to move.

"Kikyo, I don't understand," Suikotsu snickered. "There is nothing wrong with my soul. I am perfectly fine; I don't understand why you would think something is wrong with me. Especially with my soul, so you'll have to explain a little more if you expect me to get the point."

Her energy struck out wildly against the walking corpse, and she finally managed to steel herself against the cold as he continued forward. She did not hold back the threat of purification this time, allowing it to hover around the thing that wanted her to believe it was Suikotsu and keep him at bay. Then, when she was positive he understood she was not going to play anymore, she hissed, "You'll probably never understand. You are nothing but a body that walks—a corpse that has been given a purpose. You can never comprehend anything when it comes to the soul."

Suikotsu actually looked hurt, as he replied, "Oh, I think that one hit me deep. Right here in my heart, Kikyo." He brought his hand up over the area, pressing against it to get the point across. He blinked at the miko before him, only a bit wary of the energy that rippled from her body.

"As if your heart beats," Kikyo spat.

"That's cruel, Kikyo." Suikotsu shook his head, giving a beaten sigh, "Really, it is."

"Do not think that is the extent of how cruel I can be," Kikyo said, her energy snapping out to bite at the corpse's heels. He took a step backward, trying to stay away from the energy that could banish him from the world. However, Kikyo continued her assault, determined to keep him far, far away from her. "If you do not leave me be, I will vanquish you from this land. You will never see the light of day again, and I will be glad to know I did the world a favor."

"Ouch," Suikotsu chuckled. "How can you say such things to someone that has done nothing to you, Kikyo? Someone that has been nothing but kind to you since the moment we met? Or have you forgotten that? Forgotten all the times I've helped you keep that blasted hanyou away? And all because you didn't want to spend time around him, knowing that he was only obsessed with you. Knowing that if you gave him a little bit of attention, he would come running back like an obedient puppy wanting more?"

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," Kikyo snarled. "Suikotsu did those things, not you."

"I have been kind to you so many times, Kikyo," Suikotsu continued, "why can't you be kind to me this one time?"

"Because you are  _not_  my friend!" Kikyo yelled. She was positive that someone should have heard her yell, even as she lashed her energy out angrily at the shadow of what Suikotsu once was. They should have felt her energy, at least, yet she could not feel anyone coming to her rescue. Kikyo was not one that ever needed rescuing, nor was she one that wanted to be rescued, but she knew when she needed the aid of someone else.

"That's really a shame, Kikyo," Suikotsu sighed. "And here I thought we had such a wonderful relationship. You were showing feelings for me, and I was pretending to actually care about you. Yet it seems that all my hard work has gone to waste, and I'll just have to take what I want the hard way."

Her energy completely focused on him, wanting only to destroy the person that had once been her friend. Kikyo restrained it, knowing that she could be expelled for violence on school grounds, but the urge was great. Rid the world of the filth that Suikotsu's body had become, thus allowing her to know that she had brought justice to the world. Allowing her to know that she may have sacrificed her friend's body, but at least she had redeemed his soul.

Suikotsu took a step forward, uncaring of the energy that gripped at him. It sank into his flesh, warning him away, but he would not be deterred from his path. He would get what he wanted, because it was the only thing on his mind, and he knew instinctively that that was what he must get. He must, because that was his command, and he would always follow the commands given to him.

The chill returned, and Kikyo forced down the tears gathering at the edge of her eyes. With a shuddering breath, she asked, "What is it that you want?"

Suikotsu smiled seductively, stating, "I want to feel your flesh, Kikyo."

Kikyo's energy exploded with his words, and she crumpled to the ground after the powerful blast. As her world darkened, she saw that the corpse of Suikotsu continued to stand, chuckling lightly. Fear coursed through her in her final moment of awareness, because she was not certain if she would be saved. And if she was not, she was not certain if she would be able to live with the knowledge that someone she had once considered her friend had defiled her body.

OoO

His ear twitched a bit, as he turned his head to look up at the school towering over his head. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, wondering why he had the sudden urge to go inside. He preferred the fresh air to the stuffy corridors, but he had a strong need to go inside. He tried to ignore it, wanting to savor the wind washing over him a little longer, but the urge was persistent. So, Inuyasha grumbled a little as he stood up, wishing that for once his instincts would leave him alone.

They had already messed up his school life. He had just wanted to talk with Kikyo originally, but he found that it extended so much farther than that as time passed. He wanted to know her, inside and out, but it appeared that his instincts had chosen the wrong woman to want. Kikyo wanted nothing to do with him, often running off to find that blasted Suikotsu, ignoring him, or telling him that she wanted nothing to do with a hanyou that could not take a hint. She did not even give him a chance, and it crushed him to know that his instincts had chosen someone that would never let him have them.

Someone that would not even give him the chance to try and be friends.

Sighing, Inuyasha moved to go inside. He had been sitting by himself for quite some time, ignoring the few drama students that he had made friends with. They had left him alone, knowing that he wanted to be by himself, and trying to tell him that in a small way they understood. They would never understand, he knew that, but he appreciated the fact that they gave him the space he wanted at the moment. He appreciated that they at least tried by leaving him by himself, showing that unlike Kikyo, they wanted to be his friend, and would be.

Inuyasha was slightly glad that he had found out the hard way, though. Because the one he wanted always thrust him aside for something else, he at least knew that someone like Kikyo was not his type. She was constantly calling him 'hanyou'; unable to look beyond the teachings she had gotten to become a miko. She was always ignoring him, or telling him that she wanted nothing to do with him, and though it hurt, at least he knew he could not have her. He had to move on, find someone worthy of his affection, and Inuyasha was determined to do so.

As he stepped inside the school, Inuyasha froze for a single moment. His eyes narrowed, wondering at the strange sensation that washed over him. He felt the need to be somewhere suddenly, and he found his feet moving toward the drama dormitory. Strange, since he had been planning to go there in the first place, but now he felt impatient and wanting to get there as fast as he possibly could. There was no reason for him to get there quickly, he had finished his schoolwork and had only planned on lying down, yet he felt like he needed to be there.

His feet moved a bit quicker, his instincts telling him that he needed to be somewhere. He usually tried to ignore the constant nagging to do such things, but there was something urgent about the way they pressed down upon him. So, he rounded another corner and picked up speed, knowing that wherever his feet were taking him he needed to be. And at this moment he knew that he needed to listen to his instincts.

_Ki,...kyo._

The deep rumble in his head went ignored for only a moment; the sound of Kikyo's name barely registering in his head until he sniffed at the air. The miko was nearby. She was close, and it was quite obvious that something was not right from the way her energy crackled in the air. It was dwindling now, but the scent of her fear made Inuyasha rethink his first thought that she must have solved whatever problem had occurred. She was in trouble, and it was that fact that caused Inuyasha to run.

 _Ki...kyo_.

Another scent entered his nose, though he found it odd that it was beginning to fade. He figured that the other person, who he instantly recognized as Suikotsu, must have left. That did not explain the reason why Kikyo was afraid, however, and Inuyasha felt a rush to protect her. It did not matter that he had wanted to find someone else-his darker self would never have wanted anyone else-and it did not matter how she had treated him. The only thing that mattered at that moment was finding her, saving her, and making sure that nothing ever made the scent of her fear drift into his nose again.

Inuyasha rounded another corner, Kikyo's scent filling his senses, and her energy popping in the air around him. He gritted his teeth against the feel of the threat, but pushed forward until he finally saw her. He paused for only a moment, watching as the bastard bent over Kikyo's still body, his hand caressing her cheek. His eyes began to bleed, a growl spilling from his throat, when the bastard popped open the first button of Kikyo's blouse.

Suikotsu glanced up, the grin on his face fading away when he saw him.

Inuyasha's lip lifted in warning, as he snarled, "Get away from her."

"If it isn't the mutt," Suikotsu laughed.

"Get  _away_ ," Inuyasha said once more. He would only repeat his warning so many times before he went into action. The dark side of his blood was beating against him, wanting to tear into the male in front of him. It wanted to spill his blood, to watch him drain until he was nothing more than a carcass with no purpose. And it would have that wish if Suikotsu decided to ignore the threat of his youkai blood leaking forth.

"I'm afraid I won't do that," Suikotsu replied. "Kikyo has wanted me since we came here. I want her. I'm not going to let someone like you get in the way of the beautiful chemistry we have."

Inuyasha chuckled darkly, saying, "Oh yeah? Tell me, why is her fear so thick in this room then? Is that what you call wanting someone? Blacking out and allowing that person to take advantage of you? Is that what you think of a good time as?"

"I was simply helping her up, Inuyasha," Suikotsu told him. "I was not going to touch an unconscious woman, if that's what you're getting at."

" _Back off!_ " Inuyasha barked.

Suikotsu's dull eyes flickered, before he finally rose from his position. His hands were up in surrender, though the hanyou never allowed his eyes to leave his slowly moving form. "Alright," he said. "I'll leave. But don't think that Kikyo won't come crawling back to me, Inuyasha. She wants me. She'll never want you, so please don't get any sudden ideas just because you've come to  _save_  the day."

Inuyasha lunged, fangs bared. He landed beside Kikyo, watching as the other drama student raced from the room long before he touched the ground. His eyes slowly drained back to their originally amber color, and he knelt down beside Kikyo. He made sure no one was around as he felt her pulse, before lifting her into his arms. She would need medical attention after how much energy she had expelled, and Inuyasha was going to make sure that she got it.

He was also going to make sure that bastard Suikotsu never came near her again.

OoO

His black eyes slipped open, his hand coming up to rub at his throat a little. The hazy world around him slowly cleared, and he tried to sit up when a hand pressed him back down into the bed. A groan left his throat, and he was not sure what had hit him at the moment.

A face loomed over him, and he tried to focus on them. The lights shined down so brightly that the face appeared shadowed completely, and he only recognized them by the scent that drifted into his nose. He frowned, before trying to speak the name of his brother. Only a slight gargle came from his throat, and he gave up after a moment, knowing that he would not be able to speak. His body was nearly limp, and his vocal cords just would not work at the moment.

A hand brushed down his hair. He closed his eyes, before listening to his brother speak. "It will be alright, brother. You're in good hands with Yumi, and she'll make sure that any damage down is fixed."

 _Kagome_. He mouthed her name; sadness coursing through his body at the thought that that blasted inu had beaten him. The mutt's strength had easily overpowered him, and he knew that the inu would never let him near his sweet maiden ever again. He would only be able to look upon her face from far away, wishing silently, and a tear streaked down his face from the very thought.

Haruki's voice was lower, angrier, as he said; "There is no reason to think about the miko any longer, Akio. She is out of your reach, and there will be another that will take her place. You will find someone else to hold your heart."

"Until then," Yumi's voice entered his ears, "we will be here for you."

He shook his head, a whimper escaping his opened mouth.  _Kagome_ , he mouthed again. More tears leaked from behind his closed eyes, running down his cheeks in thick streams. He did not want another, and he doubted that either of them would be able to understand what he felt at the moment. Neither of them would understand the pain that pierced his heart, knowing from the memory of her face that she had chosen, and it had not been him that she picked.

Yumi's soft hands lifted his head up from the bedding, pressing him against her soft breast. She rocked him there, allowing her comforting presence to sooth his hurt feelings. But Akio did not want her comfort. He wanted to wallow in the memory of Kagome's sweet lips caressing his own, taking pleasure from him. He wanted to remember only that moment – never the thought that she had been frightened of him, that she did not want him. He did not want Yumi or Haruki or anyone else to take that from him, whether Yumi wanted to take his pain away or not.

The bed shifted, while his brother's hand swept through his hair. He heard him sigh, obviously disappointed in him. Akio could understand, because Haruki had told him to leave her be. Haruki had told him that he would be facing his path alone, isolated from the love they shared as brothers, and Akio knew that silently Haruki had called him foolish. Haruki was simply that way, so hard and unmoving, and Akio wondered if now his brother would spit the words in his face.

Call him foolish! Yell at him!

"Oh, my brother," Haruki said softly. "In time you will see the reason that I let you face this alone. You will understand the reason that I have been harsh with you, and I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

Akio's thoughts paused, disbelieving the words that slipped from his dear brother's mouth. He did not understand, for Haruki had always been with him, yet he had never heard such soft words leave his brother's mouth. He had never heard Haruki tear down the wall that he had built, blocking out everything and anything that might hurt him. And perhaps, he had done it because in a small way, Akio had been the one to hurt him. Akio shuddered at the very thought, not wishing to be the one that first brought his brother pain.

He nearly cried out.  _Stop! No! Act as Haruki does! Yell! Hiss! Scream! Just do not make this all seem unreal. Do not make me forget her. Please. Please, Haruki._

Yumi spoke when he began to shake his head, saying, "The pain will seem like too much to bear for a very long time, Akio. It will not cease or disappear, but time will make the ache seem less real. It will help it go away, while you grow and understand that not everything can be yours. Not everything you want can love you, cherish you the way you deserve, even when those things seem so perfect."

Akio shook his head more. He did not want to forget. He wanted only to hold his maiden in his arms, wrapping himself in Kagome's sweet scent and lips. He wanted only to remember the scent of her arousal, the touch of her flesh, and the way she had wanted so much to become one with him. He wanted only to remember that single moment in time, when everything felt so right and seemed so perfect. He wanted that, and he mouthed,  _Yumi_.

She seemed to recognize his sadness, while she petted his hair softly. "You will never forget, Akio. You will  _always_  have the knowledge that in one moment everything in life seemed to stop, as if that moment was where you belonged. You will never have to worry about forgetting Kagome, or anything that you cherished about her, but this will be good for you. You will be able to grow, to take that experience and build your life until your next relationship feels just the same. And then you'll have the chance to look back and laugh, because you'll know that the one you first loved helped you, unknowingly, love again."

He whimpered. He did not want to love again.

"I know," Yumi whispered, her mouth against his ear. He felt the wet, cold droplets of her tears as they fell upon his skin, streaking down into his clothing. "I know that you never want to feel that feeling again. I know that you never want to experience it with someone else. I know, Akio, but I won't let you end up like me. I won't have you smiling so happily, while I know that inside you're dying to feel your first love at least once more. I won't let that happen to you, ever."

Akio only whimpered again.  _Please, Yumi. Please. Don't. Just don't. This is what I want. This is what I need._

"We'll help you," Haruki said. "We'll make sure that you understand."

He shook his head. He did not want that.

"We'll help you," Yumi repeated. "We'll be here for you. We'll help you with the pain. We will, I promise, Akio. We'll always help you, because that is what family does."

Another tear slipped from Akio's closed lids. He knew they would not understand. They would never understand. He hoped that in time they would see that, because he cared nothing for family at that moment. He wanted only his memories, his beautiful maiden, and he would cling to them no matter how hard Yumi and Haruki tried to tear them away from him.

OoO

In a small fit of rage, she shouted, "Will you stop ignoring me!"

Sesshoumaru halted, turning slightly to cast the miko a glance. He raised his brow, saying, "This Sesshoumaru was not aware of such a thing happening. I believe I told you earlier where we were going, and we are headed in that direction."

She paused for a moment, knowing that that was true. Kagome's eyebrow twitched slightly, before she said, "But you've been—" She stopped once again; pursing her lips at the look that he gave her. He  _had_  been ignoring her, he obviously knew that, but it appeared that he would deny it if questioned.

He shook his head a bit, returning to his course. He replied, "If there is nothing of importance that you have to say, then it is best we continue on. After all, it is time that we lengthened your endurance, and Professor Katana has given this Sesshoumaru permission to use the grounds for tonight."

She bit her lip, staring at his back as he walked away from her. He was expecting her to follow, she knew that, but she could not get her feet to move. A question burned on the end of her tongue, wanting to be asked. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from his own lips – wanted him to hear him say that he was courting her. She wanted to hear him say it so much, and she continued to stare at his back, debating on whether or not to ask him.

He stopped, turning once more to blink at Kagome. She had not moved from her place, and though he had already known that from her aura alone, he wanted to know why. "Is there something of importance, miko?" he asked.

"I—" she paused once more.  _Why does this have to be so hard?_

Sighing, Sesshoumaru turned to move on once more. "If that is all, Kagome. We do not have all night if you wish to get some sleep before dawn."

Watching him move once more, she blurted out, "I have a question!"

He halted again, silently asking her to continue. Instead he got to watch as she marched up to him, a determined look in her eye. He blinked down at her, because she was obviously debating on whether or not her action was such a good idea. He urged her on silently, though, for there would be nothing that his chosen female was denied. The female he courted should not have such a troubled mind, especially since she knew clear as day that he was—

"I want to know," she halted his thoughts, "if—"

"If?" Sesshoumaru pressed.

Finally, angered by his slight mocking tone, she snapped, "I want to know if you're courting me."

Sesshoumaru blinked.

Kagome deflated, wondering if he had caught what she said after she had spoken so fast. She waited for him to answer, but upon getting nothing but a blank stare, she opened her mouth to apologize. However, she snapped her mouth shut when she noticed him close his eyes lightly and chuckle. "What?" she asked.

"Is that all you wanted?" he asked. "To know such a simple thing?"

"Yes," she nodded. She was not sure if she should be happy with him wanting to answer the question, or frightened of his calm attitude. It was like the calm before the storm, and she was not sure if she wanted to get caught up in Sesshoumaru's anger. Her beast whimpered at the very thought of him retaliating on her, spitting out that she should already know such a stupid question, and she waited until he might actually say such a thing.

"Well then, Kagome," he smirked a little at the tiny, almost unnoticeable shudder she gave when he said her name. "I believe I have a question of my own."

"You do?" she asked.

He nodded, replying, "If this Sesshoumaru recalls correctly, we do have a deal, miko. In exchange for admitting I like you trying to be my friend for more than simply my title or my status in life, I get to ask one question. Any question that I wish to ask, and you will answer it truthfully."

She nodded, remembering the deal they had made. Well, she had issued the deal and he had really dodged around actually telling her that he liked her trying to become his friend. But she had been so happy knowing that he at least liked her being around, no matter what he spat in her face for so long. There was no way that she could forget such a thing, though she was rather surprised that he remembered he could get something out of it after such a long time. She supposed, though, that he would really never forget something that would get him something in the end.

"Well?" he questioned. "Do you remember?"

"Yes," she huffed. Really, was it so hard to figure out that when she shook her head up and down she was answering his statement?

"To complete our little deal, then," Sesshoumaru began, "my question is this: what is it you feel, truly feel, toward this Sesshoumaru, Kagome?"

Her heart nearly skipped a beat, and she heard the excitement of her beast. If he wanted to know how she felt, and he was courting her, then he must feel more than she thought he did. The pieces fit together so perfectly, but she had to be sure. She licked her lips, asking, "You want to know how I feel?"

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied. "That is all I want. Only to know how you feel."

"I—"

"Are you going to back out?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "I just—I feel—"

He stood there, patiently waiting for the answer that she would give. He knew from the many times that her beast declared him as its own that she must feel something more than friendship for him. Her feelings must have been pushed beyond that, beyond what both of them could ever have thought they would feel, and he wanted to hear it. He wanted to know that his chosen female wanted him, and then perhaps he would indulge her in a  _secret_  of his own.

"I feel," Kagome blushed lightly, "that I want to be with you everyday. I want to know you more than anyone ever has. I want so many things, Sesshoumaru, but I know that they all mean the same thing."

"Hn?" he pressed her on.

"I care for you more than I think I've ever cared for anyone else," Kagome admitted. "I'm not sure if it is love or my beast's wish to just stand at your side, but I know that you are someone very special to me. No matter what our past few months were like or what our future holds, I know that you are someone very close to my heart."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his beast purr at the knowledge. The animal had calmed some more, delighting in the fact that his chosen female wanted him. She wished to be his mate, whether she wanted to say it or not, and her answer pleased him.

Kagome went to speak once more, wondering at his silence.

"This Sesshoumaru is courting you," he stated. "I would have announced it formally and would have followed the correct steps, but certain problems stopped me from doing so."

Kagome blinked, asking, "What?" She was not entirely certain if she had just heard him correctly. She had wanted to hear it so much, been dying to know why he had been ignoring her since he saved her from Akio. However, she was not sure if she had just heard him right.

His hand reached up, holding her jaw within his strong grip. He tilted her eyes until she was looking at him completely, a small smirk appearing on his lips from the way she blushed. "I, Sesshoumaru, am courting you," he said once more. He hated repeating himself, but he found that he did not care so much at that moment. She wanted to hear it, to make sure she had heard him correctly, and he was willing this one time to allow her such a thing.

"Rea—" Kagome stopped, shock coursing through her when she finally realized that he was leaning into her. She went to speak once more, but he stopped her by slanting his mouth across hers. She gasped a little, disbelieving the fact that Sesshoumaru was clearly kissing her, while complete and utter happiness flooded throughout her entire body. Her eyes slipped closed, allowing the moment to happen as little jolts went through her system.

Sesshoumaru devoured her lips, allowing himself the satisfaction of swimming in her scent and the mere pleasure that radiated from her. He took in the slight hesitation she showed, pressing her softly, until finally Kagome responded as he wished her. His tongue tangled with her own wet, fleshy appendage, while he tilted her head back further for a better angle. He finally kissed her as he had wanted, giving into the desire to share a nice, wet, nasty kiss with his chosen female, knowing that she wanted it as much as he wanted it.

Knowing, with the sparks flying between them, that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. And at the moment that was all Sesshoumaru needed. That was all he needed to know, all he wanted to know, and Sesshoumaru continued to kiss Kagome with that knowledge. Because he knew that though that was all he wanted, eventually it would lead to him having so much more.


	26. The Right Direction

The gray coloration of her eyes seemed to ripple across the surface for a single moment in time. They darkened to black within the dim light of her room, while she stared endlessly into the wall. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face while her vision focused on the images that flashed across her sight.

Ivy reached out slowly, trying to touch that which she saw. Her body instinctively knew that it would never be, but she understood that she was so close. She was so close to the beautiful union that she saw dancing across her mind, and she was positive that this time she would grasp a hold of it. Finally bringing together a pair which would never fall apart, where so many times before one had died or tried to break what was between them.

It was a glorious thought. It was a goal she had wanted to complete since she stepped inside the school. A goal that had taunted her since she could remember. Always teasing, drifting in and out until she was not positive if she would ever reach out and finally grasp it. Yet there it was, in its complete and utter beauty, and she did not wish to destroy that chance.

The event only took a few moments, but Ivy hissed when she felt her energy beginning to drain away. The ability to see outcomes came at a cost, and she barely managed to rip herself away from the lovely sight dancing in her mind. Her breathing was already labored, and she reached up to wipe the sweat from her brow. Despite the sudden weakness, though, she managed to smile at the thought of what was to come.

If only she managed to place the correct ripples in the water.

Allowing them to drift now would be a mistake. They would not be able to survive knowing that they could never obtain that which they truly wanted with all their heart. They would wither away, the two powerful beings becoming nothing, and die in the end.

That was not the outcome she wanted. No. She wished to see the utterly beautiful union that drifted through each of her visions. The union she knew would never falter in its love. The union she knew would last forever. That was what she wished to see come of this year, nothing more and nothing less. For she was not one to place her hopes too high, and one union such as what she had seen would make her happy.

A knock at the door alerted her of her visitor, and Ivy turned her attention to the door. Sighing softly under her breath, she breathed in the scent of the other female. "You may enter," she called.

Katana moved into the room with grace. She blinked at the sight of the headmistress in bed, but did not let it deter her. "Are you aware of the void's activities, Ivy?"

Staring the inu in the eye, Ivy nodded. "Yes, I am fully aware of Kanna's actions at the moment."

"Then why aren't you doing anything about it?" Katana snapped. "I would have thought you would put a stop to it by now. Especially since she has captured the souls of how many now? Two? Three students?"

Ivy smiled, saying, "Do not worry, Katana. The children are safe."

"Inside that—that  _mirror_!" Katana laughed. "I don't think anyone is safe inside there. Especially when you have the knowledge of your body's actions, yet cannot do anything to stop it."

"If you are so worried about it, perhaps you should stop her," Ivy replied. "I did not see it as such a big problem at the moment. She stole the soul of her sister, but in return made it so Kagura does not have to feel as much pain at the moment. She stole the soul of a young boy, but out of defense. Suikotsu is unstable, he would have harmed her for saying no."

"Trying to justify this is not something I expected of you," Katana scowled. "It is almost worse than murder. Having your soul stolen is not a nice experience, nor is it one  _I_  would condemn on students."

"Katana," Ivy's smile turned secretive. "There are more reasons than one that I allow events to take place. You know that."

"Unfortunately, I do," she mumbled. "However—"

"My friend, trust me when I say that Kanna will not cause anyone harm. She will take a few souls, but only for a short amount of time, and I only permit it because I wish for her to understand her power. I want her to see what she truly is, and in reflection what she can do to help the union she will be in." Ivy closed her eyes a little, giving the inu a soft look. Silently telling her that all would be all right.

"How do you know?" Katana snapped.

Ivy merely smiled.

"You  _saw_  it, didn't you?" Katana asked. She finally gave a sigh, her rough exterior falling away. "You know you're not supposed to do that anymore. There is a limit, Ivy, and yours is up. Don't make me bring Yumi in here to make sure you stop using it."

"I don't see a reason for—"

"Damn it!" Katana hissed. "You're only killing yourself by using it, Ivy! Your strength to pull away is beginning to become weaker with each vision, and it will only be a matter of time before your mind is lost. You are needed  _here_ , Ivy, not hidden away in your visions."

"Why are you so angry, Katana?" Ivy asked.

"You try teaching when you have an extremely protective  _boy_  trying to make sure you never once insult or damage his chosen mate. Trust me, you won't like the experience."

Ivy began to laugh.

Katana scowled. "It's not funny. Especially when it's your fault! Trying to put those two together has taken quite some time, and now I'm beginning to think it's a bad idea. They were bad enough before they decided to stay with one another, and now they're sure to be ten times worse. And I do  _not_  want to deal with it."

"But Katana," Ivy's voice was distant, "in the end, it will be beautiful."

"Feh, as if I care," Katana growled.

"But you do care," Ivy whispered. "I know you do, because you have spent enough time in this place to understand what such a union will mean. What beauty it will bring to this withering piece of land we call a school. You know the magic will return to what it once was, and you know that you want to see it. You know you care, whether you deny it or not."

"Don't put words in my mouth," Katana snarled. "I understand what it would mean for the school, and I understand what it would mean for you to see it happen. However, you're becoming obsessed with it, Ivy, and that could have major consequences."

"Nothing could dampen my spirits," Ivy smiled. "Ever since I saw them, spoke with them, I knew they would bring back my happiness. Allow me to see one last vision become solid and beautiful, and finally whisper strength back into these old bones."

"That is not what I meant," Katana said. "Soon you will never be able to pull yourself away from this vision you have of the future, Ivy, and I don't want to see you stuck in such a state. I  _never_  wish to see that. It is a fate worse than being stuck in a mirror."

"So, we're back to the mirror?" Ivy asked, continuing to smile.

"Yes!" Katana shook her head. "That girl cannot be allowed to take any more souls, Ivy, and the ones that she has already taken must be released! We are not here to condemn those with bad souls, nor allow others to do it for us. We are here to help these students find those that will suit them, physically and emotionally, and bring them happiness."

"I told you, you cared," Ivy replied.

Katana growled in frustration. Narrowing her eyes, she hissed, "Do not make me restrain you, Ivy. You  _will_  stop using your ability to see the future, or I will lock you in a spell so powerful, you will not have the strength to try using it again. I do not want to bind you, but if you try again, I will be given no choice."

Ivy laughed, saying, "You may try, Katana. You may try, if you truly feel you have to."

"I won't try, Ivy, I will succeed," Katana replied, her tone hard.

Ivy's dark gray eyes twinkled while the inu turned and left. Leaning back into her bed, she shut her eyes once more. She did not drift into her vision again, knowing that Katana would storm back in when she felt the magic, but allowed sleep to take a hold of her mind. Her dreams were almost as beautiful as her visions, and a small smile graced her lips while she slept.

OoO

A soft hand grazed along her forehead, bringing her back into the land of consciousness. Slowly, she began to open her eyes, and scowled at the bright lighting that glared down upon her. After she had thoroughly cursed the lights, though, she searched for the person touching her, and was surprised to find the smiling face of a kitsune staring at her.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," the kitsune chuckled.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in the Medical Wing, Kikyo." The kitsune paused for a moment. "A young hanyou brought you here after he  _saved_  you from a bad boy. Of course, we cannot be certain on that piece of information, so we were hoping you could clarify it."

Kikyo blinked again, turning when she realized the kitsune had said 'we'. Her eyes met those of Professor Katana, before the inu turned her head away in annoyance. "Whatever you wish to know, I am sure I can tell you," she replied, trying to sit up a little.

"We'll leave that for later," the kitsune smiled. "Right now there's an impatient inu that wants to see you. In fact, I'm surprised he hasn't barged in yet. He's been coming everyday since he brought you." She stopped again, turning her head, and whispered, "Such a sweet boy."

"Oh, but—"

The kitsune turned back, "Is something wrong?"

The look in her eyes stopped Kikyo from saying she did not wish to have a visitor, whether the person had saved her or not. She was disappointed in herself, because she should have been able to keep Suikotsu at bay at least until a teacher had come to investigate. Yet, in her moment of haste, she had allowed her energy to go after him in one blast, knocking herself out in the process.

"Well," the kitsune continued, "if there isn't a problem, I will go get him before he decides to tear down my door. Gods know I already have one too many doing that."

A deep growl came from Professor Katana's chest. Clearly the jab was at her, and she did not take it kindly.

When the kitsune returned, Kikyo was not surprised to see Inuyasha walking behind her. He was smiling, obviously happy to see her up, and sat down at in the chair placed at her bedside. She nodded to him, saying, "Hello, Inuyasha."

"I'm glad yer up, Kikyo," Inuyasha replied. "I was almost afraid you'd never get up, but Yumi said she'd have ya patched up in no time. You just used a little too much energy, that's all."

"I see," Kikyo nodded. It was awkward, speaking so politely with the hanyou she had tried to ignore and knowing he had saved her from Suikotsu's corpse. She was not quite sure how to proceed, but was glad that Inuyasha did not take offence and continued on with the conversation.

"Yeah, so," Inuyasha scratched the back of his neck, "I brought you here after I chased off Suikotsu—"

"That  _thing_ ," Kikyo muttered, "was not Suikotsu."

Inuyasha blinked in surprise. His eyes were bright, Kikyo noticed, and she wondered why she had never noticed how much like the sun they actually were. So bright, yet they burned with a hidden passion that made them soft and lifelike. And they, Kikyo realized as she sat there staring at him, were beautiful.

"His soul was gone," Kikyo continued. "He is not the Suikotsu that entered this school or spent so much time around us during class. He is nothing but emptiness – a deep, hollow pit that's only purpose is to walk and cause chaos."

"I thought he smelled rather funny," Inuyasha grinned.

Kikyo saw his humor, and allowed herself a moment to smile. She had never wished to spend time with the hanyou, nor had she ever wanted to associate herself with him. She had been taught all her life that she was dangerous to anything with youkai blood, that she needed to keep her distance, and she had. She allowed herself small privileges – such as speaking with those with a very small amount – but she had never thought one day she would be speaking casually with someone she could easily kill with a touch of a finger.

"So, ah," Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "What do you think was wrong with him?"

Kikyo's eyes saddened, for she wondered the same thing. Suikotsu had been someone she considered close to her, though she was not foolish enough not to have noticed the attention he showed to another girl. She would miss him until she found his soul. "I don't know," she admitted.

"Oh," Inuyasha replied. The conversation dwindled from there, as he stared at the young miko sitting in the hospital bed. She looked so sad, and he wished beyond anything else that he could make that sadness go away.

Quietly, Kikyo finally broke the silence. "Thank you for saving me," she said. She turned her face away, ashamed with her hasty actions. She should have tried harder, thought more about the situation and calculated. She should have been able to replel the evil that Suikotsu had become, instead of falling so quickly. She should have been able to do many things, but nonetheless she was grateful that that monster had not been able to use her body the way he had wished to.

"Yer welcome," Inuyasha scoffed. "I didn't really do much, though."

"You did enough," Kikyo smiled softly. And, she almost giggled when she realized that Inuyasha's face had darkened to a powdered pink. The hanyou looked quite surprised with her expression, and she realized just how little she had ever really paid attention to him. She could not call forth any picture of him looking surprised, let alone most other emotions. In fact, the only thing she did remember was that lingering hope that often settled into his beautiful amber eyes.

"I guess so," Inuyasha nodded. "I guess I'm just glad that I did that much, since I'm not quite sure what made me go that way. It was like there was some voice in the back of my head, and I couldn't ignore it."

"Perhaps your subconscious sensed the distress by tapping into the magic of the school," Kikyo offered. "It is ancient magic, so old now that it is beginning to fade away, but it still protects us the best it can. It suppresses the hatred, the anger, and the hateful emotions and allows us to coexist in a slightly more peaceful atmosphere. But I still can't help but wonder if it has another purpose all together."

"Kikyo?" Inuyasha blinked.

"Haven't you ever noticed?" Kikyo asked, her eyes bright. "There is something going on in this school, something that brings together those that would never look at one another otherwise. Something that manipulates us and fate itself, while we remain oblivious within its suffocating walls."

Inuyasha listened, his puppy-dog ears perked a bit higher in attention. He had never thought so much about the stupid building around him, but as Kikyo spoke, he realized she was right. There was something odd about the place, since he doubted he would have ever thought about even trying to court a miko elsewhere. The very thought could  _still_  almost make him laugh, since they were so dangerous to his blood. So, he said, "Yeah, yeah, I've noticed."

Kikyo spoke more with the hanyou afterward, allowing him to ask a few questions before Yumi decided it was time for her to rest some more. A smile touched her face as he left, because though she had been taught to never interact with those she could destroy, Kikyo was glad to have spoken with Inuyasha. He was a bit rough around the edges, but there was a certain quality about him that seemed to draw her in. And she liked that.

OoO

Sitting down at the lunch table, Kagome instantly began a conversation with her friends. Despite that, she was not entirely oblivious to Sesshoumaru sitting down next to her, his arm brushing up against hers. And apparently, neither was Sango from the sly look she cast her. The sad thing was, once Sango noticed,  _everyone_  else noticed, too.

Shippo, showing his kitsune nature, asked, "Aren't you two sitting a little  _close_  there? Usually you sit at least far enough  _not_  to touch one another."

Sesshoumaru glanced up briefly. Kitsune were always those that pointed out the obvious in an attempt to make sure they ended up with the information they wanted. Unfortunately for that one, Sesshoumaru knew his tactic and was not falling for it.

Kirara bumped him in the arm. She thought it was rather cute, considering how long she had had to watch them nip at each other's throats. Not only that, but she was glad everything was working out for the better, though she knew they still had a long way to go. A relationship was never perfect, and they made that very clear.

"What was that for?" Shippo frowned. "I only wanted to know why they've decided to—"

Kirara, surprisingly, cast a glance at him that made him shut his mouth.

Quietly at first, Sango began to laugh. As the noise got louder, she wrapped an arm around the neko's shoulder. "How did you do that, Kirara?" she asked. "I've been trying since the beginning of the school year to find a way to get him to shut his mouth. Always going on about the treasure he hordes and the pretty women he's noticed."

"Hey!" Shippo yelled, face turning red. "You're the one that asked!"

Miroku smirked, "Ah, it appears that I am not the only one here that appreciates the beauty of the opposite sex."

Shippo glared at him, snapping, "I've got a  _reason_ , though. It is in my nature to like beautiful things. What's your excuse,  _Miroku_?"

"Why, it is a sad, miserable curse that has been handed down from my great-great-great-grandfather," Miroku sighed. He appeared truly innocent. "My family has had to suffer with it for so long, and now we cannot seem to find a way to—"

A spoon smacked him in the face, which resulted in the rest of the table, minus Sesshoumaru, erupting in laughter. Sango, her hand still raised after throwing the utensil, smirked when they began to laugh. She said, "That's what you get for lying!"

"But, Sango," Miroku pleaded, "I am  _not_  lying. I swear to you, from the bottom of my heart, that it is so!"

"Cut it with the innocent act, Miroku," Sango glared. "I've met your family, and it is not a  _curse_  that makes you go after pretty girls."

Miroku blinked, saying, "If you are referring to my father, the only reason he does not go after women anymore is because of my mother."

Kagome burst into another fit of giggles. They stopped abruptly when she felt a hand settle on her thigh, and looked up to find Sesshoumaru looking at her. A blush formed across her cheeks, but she knew that no one would notice while they were focusing on Sango and Miroku's argument.

Slowly, a smirk formed on the inu's lips.

"Ha!" Sango cried. "It shows what you pay attention to, since I've seen him look the other way plenty of times! Your mother just puts up with it, and hits him when he stares too long."

His face very serious, Miroku said, "Perhaps."

"As amusing as this is," Shippo started, "could we get back on topic?"

Miroku blinked at the kitsune, asking, "Whatever do you mean—?"

He was cut off when Sesshoumaru stiffened, growling, "What do you want, hanyou?"

They looked up to find a somewhat shorter, puppy-dog eared boy standing over Sesshoumaru. His silver hair and golden eyes made it clear they were related, while Sesshoumaru's voice made it clear that he did not like it all that much. Though, when he spoke it also became clear that they were very different. He said, "What, did I crash a party or something?"

Kagome raised her hand briefly, recognizing him. "Hello, Inuyasha." His ear flicked in her direction, but otherwise he did not make a move to acknowledge her.

"This Sesshoumaru will not repeat himself," he replied.

"Oh, cut it with the high and mighty act, will ya," Inuyasha grumbled. "I'm not here to fight with ya, and I'm not here to make it so ya can't get into some innocent girl's pants."

The rest of the group turned to stare at them both, while a dark blush appeared on Kagome's face. Sesshoumaru's hand had yet to move, and Kagome doubted it would, which meant it was only a matter of time before any of them noticed. And from the looks of things, Shippo, Bankotsu, and Miroku already had.

Though he seemed as if he did not notice Kagome's embarrassment, Sesshoumaru growled again. "Inuyasha," he warned. "You will either shut your mouth or get on with your point."

"Right," Inuyasha huffed. He twisted on his foot, plopping down into the seat next to his brother, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know yer not the best choice to ask this, but I need some help when it comes to this girl I—"

"You're having women problems?" Miroku asked. He avoided Sango's eyes, knowing she was more than ready to chuck something else at him. Probably something with an edge the next time.

Inuyasha turned to him, frowning, "Yeah… What's it to ya?"

"Oh, nothing," Miroku smiled a bit. "Nothing at all. But, perhaps I could be of some service to you."

"Like you could  _help_  anyone," Sango hissed. Momentarily, she forgot about Inuyasha's crude comment toward Sesshoumaru. She already knew he was courting her, whether Kagome knew it yet or not, and there  _was_  a likely chance he wanted in her pants. So, there really was no reason to think on it too much unless Kagome did not want it, and from the looks of things she would not be opposed to the idea.

Inuyasha waited a moment to answer, before he twisted in his seat. He had been dragged to their table before, and they seemed pretty interesting, so maybe the boy could help him. So, placing his hands on the table, he leaned forward, and said, "Ok, I'm game. What ya got, man?"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. If the hanyou planned on getting advice from that boy, he had better hope the girl liked to have her ass grabbed. Because knowing Inuyasha, the idiot would try it just to make sure it did  _not_  work. He was just lucky to have not picked it up already, considering they were both in drama.

"How about we start from the beginning?" Miroku smiled.

"I guess we could do that," the hanyou nodded. "Her name is Kikyo. She's a miko in the drama department—"

"Kikyo?" Kagome asked. "As in, my cousin Kikyo?"

"I thought there was something familiar about ya," Inuyasha said. "But yeah, from the resemblance, I'd say yer probably related."

Kagome frowned, muttering, "I sure hope there's something familiar. You ran into me in the hallway toward the beginning of the year, after all."

"Did ya say somethin'?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh, I merely wanted to know if her last name was Haya?" Kagome easily lied. No reason to get Inuyasha mad at her. Or make him leave, since he seemed like the type of person that had to push aside a lot of his pride in order to ask for help.

Inuyasha thought for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, that's it. Kikyo Haya." Faintly, he remembered a conversation that sounded a lot like the one he was currently having, except Kikyo was hissing at him and trying to pound into his head that they were related. After a moment, it clicked. Kikyo had been helping the girl, carrying her, and he had asked why, only for Kikyo to say something about her mother's maiden name and whatnot. He decided not to mention it, though.

"Then that's my cousin," Kagome smiled.

"Hn, please continue, Inuyasha," Miroku smiled.

"Ah, right," Inuyasha paused. He needed a few seconds to remember where he had been. "I like Kikyo, but she doesn't really like me. She's always hanging out with this idiot Suikotsu, who clearly likes this Kanna chick. But, yesterday she was attacked—"

"Is she ok?" Kagome gasped. Kikyo and her might not be on the best of terms since she had decided to stick by Sesshoumaru, but they were still family. They still needed to look out for one another, because no matter what, they would always be family in the end.

"Yeah," Inuyasha nodded. "I scared the guy off before he could really do anything to her."

Miroku sensed there was more to the story. He had never really tried to get along with Kikyo, considering the young miko believed she needed to isolate herself in order to live happily. However, curiosity got the better of him. So, he asked, "And who exactly attacked Kikyo?"

"Suikotsu," Inuyasha growled. "The same guy that was  _supposed_  to be her friend."

Bankotsu chuckled from his end of the table. "That's a riot," he said. "Suikotsu's too nice to attack anyone unless they've hurt something close to him. You must have been mistaken."

"What do you know?" Inuyasha hissed. "I saw him with my own eyes."

"Suikotsu is—"

Sango coughed, interrupting Bankotsu's speech. "There are a lot of other reasons that a person might attack someone else. Or have you forgotten we're within a school filled with youkai and ningen alike, Bankotsu?"

"I haven't forgotten," Bankotsu huffed. "Kind of hard to do when there's people like him wonderin' around the place."

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. He did not like that guy. He gave him the same vibe that Suikotsu did, like there was more to him that he let on, and Inuyasha's eyes were drawn to the mark on his forehead. "Like yer one to talk," he spat. "You've got demon blood in ya, too, don't ya?"

"Not enough to make a difference," Bankotsu smirked. "Unlike those little ears on top of your head, all I got was the minor ability to control lightning."

"Lightning?" Inuyasha scowled. "You call that a  _minor_  ability?"

"Hey!" Sango slammed her fist against the table. "I thought we were talking about Inuyasha's problem, not your guys need to show the other who has the bigger di—"

"Why, my darling Sango, such vulgar language," Miroku cut in.

Glaring at him, she said, "I hadn't finished yet. So, technically, I never said anything vulgar."

Shippo snickered, "She's got a point."

"Um," Kirara's quiet voice spoke up. "Perhaps we should get back on topic."

"I agree with Kirara, and I'm sure Kagome seconds that—"

"Don't drag me into this," Kagome said.

"—So," Sango continued, "how 'bout you sit down and shut up, Bankotsu—"

"Hey! You can't tell me what to—" Bankotsu began. His voice quickly shrank away, though, when Sango turned her burning eyes upon him. The girl could be rather scary at times, and it was clear to him that she was beginning to boil over the top. Best just to keep his mouth shut for now.

"—And you get to the point, Inuyasha," Sango finished. She leaned back in her seat, surveying her work and smiled a little. The whole table had gone quiet, and there was a small smirk on Shippo's  _and_  Sesshoumaru's faces. That, in her opinion, was a job well done.

Kagome shook her head. She understood Sango's need to be dramatic, but she took a glance at Sesshoumaru. He really should not get so much satisfaction from his brother's stupefied look. It  _was_  his brother, whether he liked it or not.

Sesshoumaru turned his head just slightly, raising an eyebrow at the miko's sour look. He wondered briefly what had put her in such a mood, but paid it little attention as he gripped onto her thigh. She gave a small sound of surprise, her sour look gone, and blushed.

"Kagome?" Sango asked.

"N-Nothing," Kagome stuttered. Damn that hand. And damn her beast for suddenly purring at the fact that their chosen had decided to give them such attention. She did  _not_  need everyone staring at her like that, and she did not want everyone to suddenly jump to conclusions. She had only kissed him once, but she knew them and they would believe so much more had happened.

In fact, she should really slap him because of that hand. He might have admitted that he was courting her, but he did not really have the right yet to touch her so familiarly. However, her beast growled from the back of her mind, disapproving the very idea of hitting their alpha and chosen mate. She almost sighed, because she was  _not_  actually going to hit him, since she actually liked it – whether that was her beast's influence or not.

"Sure didn't sound like nothing," Shippo replied. "Sounded more like—"

"He's got his hand on her leg, ok," Inuyasha growled. He was  _really_  starting to regret even coming near the group. He could have probably come up with something by then without their help, arguing, and constant need to point out the stupidest shit.

Sango's mouth dropped open. Then, slowly, she smiled and nearly shouted, "I was  _so_  right! I told you, Kagome!"

"Hey," Inuyasha scowled. "I'm trying to ask for help here, not listen to you guys talk about my half-brother's stupid little relationship."

A growl echoed from Sesshoumaru's chest. "Hanyou—"

"Oh, Bankotsu!" a voice called. "You'll never believe what just happened!"

"Jakotsu?" Bankotsu blinked, turning in his seat.

"I was talking to the cutest—oh, look!" Jakotsu clasp his hands in front of his face. "You've got friends! And one of them is that devilishly handsome youkai that sits next to me in art! Hello, handsome!"

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched a little. He was not sure how he had put up with that homosexual for so long, since he  _really_  wanted to rip his head from his shoulders. Especially now, since it was rather obvious that he was  _never_  going to return the attraction that the boy had. His beast would never allow it, whether he was into the idea or not, and he leaned just a bit more into Kagome's side.

Jakotsu smirked seductively, saying, "Oh, don't be that way, handsome. I'm sure you'll—" His eyes slid over to the girl's just beyond Sesshoumaru, and he stiffened at the raging fire settled there. He gulped, his smirk fading away, as he shrank into Bankotsu's back. "Bankotsu, save me from that evil woman and her evil stare!"

Bankotsu shook his head, as he said, "You're gonna have to find someone else to save you, Jakotsu. Kagome's a miko—"

Jakotsu's squeaked, "A miko?!" Distantly, his mind knew that someone else had mentioned that information before, many times, but it did not register, as it should have. All he knew was a miko could be hazardous to his small amount of youkai blood, and he did not want to mingle with one if she chose to give him such a stare. "Please, be careful, handsome! That woman's dangerous!"

Sesshoumaru scoffed. The miko might be powerful, but he doubted she would be able to overcome the sheer mass of his youkai. She would probably suffocate long before she even managed to harm him if she chose to attack him. However, he knew such a thing would not happen as he squeezed her thigh once more, causing her blush to darken. He was in no danger.

His eye twitched a bit, as his ears flattened against his head once more. "Damn it," he cursed. He knew this was a bad idea from the beginning. His brother was ignoring him completely, favoring his piece of ass, and the rest of them were too distracting for any of them to even think about helping him. "I'm outta here."

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called. "We haven't told you how to—"

"Screw you," Inuyasha scowled. "Yer all just a bunch of nut jobs, the lot of ya. You probably couldn't help a blind guy piss in a can."

"Such language," Miroku huffed.

"Yer one to talk," Inuyasha growled back at him. "Pervert."

"Hey—" Miroku was not able to finish, as Inuyasha stomped away. He shook his head afterward, knowing there was no stopping the hanyou from leaving. His temper was short, especially when it came to Kikyo, and Miroku had watched him act enough in drama class to know Inuyasha's mind would not be changed.

"That wasn't very nice," Jakotsu muttered. "But did you see those pretty little ears on his head, big brother? I just want to touch them and cuddle them and keep them all to myself!"

The bell rang, signaling lunch was over, before Bankotsu could reply to him.

OoO

Yumi glanced up at the sound of the floor creaking, her hearing easily picking up the sound. She sighed almost instantly, hoping that it was not that stubborn hanyou again. And, just to make sure, she sniffed lightly at the air. The hanyou's scent did not filter into her nose, perking her curiosity, and Yumi finally stood. Her fingers weaved together in front of her, as she moved to the other room, and she was a little surprised to find her newest charge standing quietly over the bed of her younger brother.

She hoped for a moment that Akio did not awaken. Kikyo and Kagome looked much alike, and there was no telling how he would react in his state. It could be violent, despite his wish for Kagome to love him, and she would hate to take away the one thing that had given him hope thus far.

After a moment, she called out, "Kikyo, is something the matter?"

The young miko stiffened a bit, straightening up a bit more. She cast a glance in her direction, as she shook her head. "No," Kikyo said. "I merely thought I heard him call my cousin's name."

Yumi moved closer to the bed, as she said, "He might have."

Kikyo glanced up, her dark eyes narrowing. She asked, "And why would he do that?"

"Akio suffers from a broken heart," Yumi replied.

The miko easily put the pieces together, as she nodded. She glanced down at the boy once more, silently calling him foolish. It was obvious that her cousin was infatuated with that inu, Sesshoumaru, so trying to love her was asking for his heart to be broken. "He should not have tried to love Kagome," she said after a while.

Yumi nodded. "I agree, but there are some things in life that you cannot change."

Kikyo remained silent. She stared at the boy in the bed, watching as his brow creased and he once again whimpered Kagome's name. Her energy, still recovering from when she released it against Suikotsu, rose at the very sound. She knew the youkai mind, knew how quickly it could morph any emotion into hate, and her body instinctively knew not to take any chances.

"Kikyo," Yumi said. She had felt the rise in power. "Perhaps you should return to your bed now. I will watch over Akio."

"Forgive me," Kikyo dipped her head. "I merely wish to keep my cousin safe."

"I understand," Yumi smiled. "We all wish to keep our family safe."

Realization formed in Kikyo's dark eyes, as she nodded. She twisted on her foot, moving back to her bed, and pushed down the energy rising within her body. The younger kitsune would not harm her cousin, she was certain of it, because the older kitsune would keep him in check. Protect him, as family should.


End file.
